-
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Jul 2018The recent description of the genus has altered the taxonomy of species. These organisms still belong to the genera of the skin coryneform group, and the most-studied... (Review)
Review
The recent description of the genus has altered the taxonomy of species. These organisms still belong to the genera of the skin coryneform group, and the most-studied species remains . is also a known skin commensal. This underrecognized microorganism can, however, act as a pathogen after bacterial seeding and can be considered opportunistic, causing either superficial or deep/invasive infections. It can cause numerous infections, including but not limited to breast infections, skin abscesses, infective endocarditis, and device-related infections. The ecological niche of is clearly different from that of other members of the genus: it is found in the axillary region or at wet sites rather than in dry, exposed areas, and the number of microorganisms increases during puberty. Historically, it has been used for its ability to modulate the immune response and for its antitumor properties. Conventional microbial culture methods and identification processes allow for its accurate identification and characterization. Thanks to the modern omics tools used for phylogenomic approaches, understanding pathogenesis (including host-bacterium interactions and virulence factor characterization) is becoming easier, allowing for more thorough molecular characterization. These analyses have revealed that causes diverse diseases mediated by multiple virulence factors. The recent genome approach has revealed specific genomic regions within this species that are involved in adherence and biofilm formation as well as fitness, survival, and defense functions. Numerous regions show the presence of phages and horizontal gene transfer. remains highly sensitive to a broad spectrum of antibiotics, such as β-lactams, fluoroquinolones, macrolides, and rifampin, although erythromycin and clindamycin resistance has been described. A long-term treatment regimen with a combination of antibiotics is required to successfully eliminate the remaining adherent bacteria, particularly in the case of deep infections after debridement surgery.
Topics: Actinomycetales Infections; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Humans; Phylogeny; Propionibacterium
PubMed: 29848774
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00064-17 -
BMC Genomics Feb 2016Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis live in close proximity on human skin, and both bacterial species can be isolated from normal and acne...
BACKGROUND
Propionibacterium acnes and Staphylococcus epidermidis live in close proximity on human skin, and both bacterial species can be isolated from normal and acne vulgaris-affected skin sites. The antagonistic interactions between the two species are poorly understood, as well as the potential significance of bacterial interferences for the skin microbiota. Here, we performed simultaneous antagonism assays to detect inhibitory activities between multiple isolates of the two species. Selected strains were sequenced to identify the genomic basis of their antimicrobial phenotypes.
RESULTS
First, we screened 77 P. acnes strains isolated from healthy and acne-affected skin, and representing all known phylogenetic clades (I, II, and III), for their antimicrobial activities against 12 S. epidermidis isolates. One particular phylogroup (I-2) exhibited a higher antimicrobial activity than other P. acnes phylogroups. All genomes of type I-2 strains carry an island encoding the biosynthesis of a thiopeptide with possible antimicrobial activity against S. epidermidis. Second, 20 S. epidermidis isolates were examined for inhibitory activity against 25 P. acnes strains. The majority of S. epidermidis strains were able to inhibit P. acnes. Genomes of S. epidermidis strains with strong, medium and no inhibitory activities against P. acnes were sequenced. Genome comparison underlined the diversity of S. epidermidis and detected multiple clade- or strain-specific mobile genetic elements encoding a variety of functions important in antibiotic and stress resistance, biofilm formation and interbacterial competition, including bacteriocins such as epidermin. One isolate with an extraordinary antimicrobial activity against P. acnes harbors a functional ESAT-6 secretion system that might be involved in the antimicrobial activity against P. acnes via the secretion of polymorphic toxins.
CONCLUSIONS
Taken together, our study suggests that interspecies interactions could potentially jeopardize balances in the skin microbiota. In particular, S. epidermidis strains possess an arsenal of different mechanisms to inhibit P. acnes. However, if such interactions are relevant in skin disorders such as acne vulgaris remains questionable, since no difference in the antimicrobial activity against, or the sensitivity towards S. epidermidis could be detected between health- and acne-associated strains of P. acnes.
Topics: Acne Vulgaris; Antibiosis; Comparative Genomic Hybridization; DNA, Bacterial; Genome, Bacterial; Humans; Phylogeny; Propionibacterium acnes; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Skin; Staphylococcus epidermidis
PubMed: 26924200
DOI: 10.1186/s12864-016-2489-5 -
BioMed Research International 2013The role of Propionibacterium acnes in acne and in a wide range of inflammatory diseases is well established. However, P. acnes is also responsible for infections... (Review)
Review
The role of Propionibacterium acnes in acne and in a wide range of inflammatory diseases is well established. However, P. acnes is also responsible for infections involving implants. Prolonged aerobic and anaerobic agar cultures for 14 days and broth cultures increase the detection rate. In this paper, we review the pathogenic role of P. acnes in implant-associated infections such as prosthetic joints, cardiac devices, breast implants, intraocular lenses, neurosurgical devices, and spine implants. The management of severe infections caused by P. acnes involves a combination of antimicrobial and surgical treatment (often removal of the device). Intravenous penicillin G and ceftriaxone are the first choice for serious infections, with vancomycin and daptomycin as alternatives, and amoxicillin, rifampicin, clindamycin, tetracycline, and levofloxacin for oral treatment. Sonication of explanted prosthetic material improves the diagnosis of implant-associated infections. Molecular methods may further increase the sensitivity of P. acnes detection. Coating of implants with antimicrobial substances could avoid or limit colonization of the surface and thereby reduce the risk of biofilm formation during severe infections. Our understanding of the role of P. acnes in human diseases will likely continue to increase as new associations and pathogenic mechanisms are discovered.
Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Propionibacterium acnes; Prostheses and Implants
PubMed: 24308006
DOI: 10.1155/2013/804391 -
American Journal of Ophthalmology Feb 1991We reviewed 19 cases of delayed-onset pseudophakic endophthalmitis in which diagnostic cultures were performed at one month or more after cataract extraction with...
We reviewed 19 cases of delayed-onset pseudophakic endophthalmitis in which diagnostic cultures were performed at one month or more after cataract extraction with posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation. We isolated four different organisms in these 19 cases: 12 Propionibacterium species (63%), three Candida parapsilosis (16%), three Staphylococcus epidermidis (16%), and one Corynebacterium species (5%). Because of the unusual delayed-onset features of these cases and the retrospective nature of this study, a variety of treatment regimens were used. Twelve patients had recurrence of marked inflammation despite an apparent initial cure, and ten of these patients had positive culture results on repeat examination of intraocular fluids. Nine patients continued to be treated with topical corticosteroids postoperatively to suppress low-grade inflammation. Of the 19 patients, 16 had final visual acuity of 20/400 or better. Delayed-onset pseudophakic endophthalmitis had a more favorable visual prognosis, compared to acute-onset endophthalmitis.
Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Aphakia, Postcataract; Bacterial Infections; Candidiasis; Corynebacterium Infections; Endophthalmitis; Humans; Propionibacterium; Staphylococcal Infections; Visual Acuity; Vitreous Body
PubMed: 1992736
DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9394(14)72254-8 -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Jul 2014Propionibacterium acnes is known primarily as a skin commensal. However, it can present as an opportunistic pathogen via bacterial seeding to cause invasive infections... (Review)
Review
Propionibacterium acnes is known primarily as a skin commensal. However, it can present as an opportunistic pathogen via bacterial seeding to cause invasive infections such as implant-associated infections. These infections have gained more attention due to improved diagnostic procedures, such as sonication of explanted foreign materials and prolonged cultivation time of up to 14 days for periprosthetic biopsy specimens, and improved molecular methods, such as broad-range 16S rRNA gene PCR. Implant-associated infections caused by P. acnes are most often described for shoulder prosthetic joint infections as well as cerebrovascular shunt infections, fibrosis of breast implants, and infections of cardiovascular devices. P. acnes causes disease through a number of virulence factors, such as biofilm formation. P. acnes is highly susceptible to a wide range of antibiotics, including beta-lactams, quinolones, clindamycin, and rifampin, although resistance to clindamycin is increasing. Treatment requires a combination of surgery and a prolonged antibiotic treatment regimen to successfully eliminate the remaining bacteria. Most authors suggest a course of 3 to 6 months of antibiotic treatment, including 2 to 6 weeks of intravenous treatment with a beta-lactam. While recently reported data showed a good efficacy of rifampin against P. acnes biofilms, prospective, randomized, controlled studies are needed to confirm evidence for combination treatment with rifampin, as has been performed for staphylococcal implant-associated infections.
Topics: Animals; Biofilms; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; Metagenome; Microbiota; Propionibacterium acnes; Prostheses and Implants; Prosthesis-Related Infections; Virulence
PubMed: 24982315
DOI: 10.1128/CMR.00092-13 -
Microbiology and Molecular Biology... Dec 2018Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) and conjugated linolenic acids (CLNAs) have gained significant attention due to their anticarcinogenic and lipid/energy... (Review)
Review
Conjugated linoleic acids (CLAs) and conjugated linolenic acids (CLNAs) have gained significant attention due to their anticarcinogenic and lipid/energy metabolism-modulatory effects. However, their concentration in foodstuffs is insufficient for any therapeutic application to be implemented. From a biotechnological standpoint, microbial production of these conjugated fatty acids (CFAs) has been explored as an alternative, and strains of the genera , , and have shown promising producing capacities. Current screening research works are generally based on direct analytical determination of production capacity (e.g., trial and error), representing an important bottleneck in these studies. This review aims to summarize the available information regarding identified genes and proteins involved in CLA/CLNA production by these groups of bacteria and, consequently, the possible enzymatic reactions behind such metabolic processes. Linoleate isomerase (LAI) was the first enzyme to be described to be involved in the microbiological transformation of linoleic acids (LAs) and linolenic acids (LNAs) into CFA isomers. Thus, the availability of gene sequences has allowed the development of genetic screening tools. Nevertheless, several studies have reported that LAIs have significant homology with myosin-cross-reactive antigen (MCRA) proteins, which are involved in the synthesis of hydroxy fatty acids, as shown by hydratase activity. Furthermore, it has been suggested that CLA and/or CLNA production results from a stress response performed by the activation of more than one gene in a multiple-step reaction. Studies on CFA biochemical pathways are essential to understand and characterize the metabolic mechanism behind this process, unraveling all the gene products that may be involved. As some of these bacteria have shown modulation of lipid metabolism , further research to be focused on this topic may help us to understand the role of the gut microbiota in human health.
Topics: Animals; Bacterial Proteins; Bifidobacterium; Humans; Isomerases; Lactobacillus; Linoleic Acids, Conjugated; Linolenic Acids; Lipid Metabolism; Propionibacterium; Rats; Rats, Wistar
PubMed: 30158254
DOI: 10.1128/MMBR.00019-18 -
Microbial Cell Factories Oct 2022Propionibacterium freudenreichii is used in biotechnological applications to produce vitamin B. Although cultured mainly in anaerobic conditions, microaerobic conditions...
BACKGROUND
Propionibacterium freudenreichii is used in biotechnological applications to produce vitamin B. Although cultured mainly in anaerobic conditions, microaerobic conditions can greatly enhance biomass formation in P. freudenreichii. Since B yields may be coupled to biomass formation, microaerobic conditions show great potential for increasing B yields in P. freudenreichii.
RESULTS
Here we show biomass formation increases 2.7 times for P. freudenreichii grown in microaerobic conditions on lactate versus anaerobic conditions (1.87 g/L vs 0.70 g/L). Consumption of lactate in microaerobic conditions resulted first in production of pyruvate, propionate and acetate. When lactate was depleted, pyruvate and propionate were oxidised with a concomitant sixfold increase in the B titer compared to anaerobic conditions, showing potential for propionate and pyruvate as carbon sources for B production. Consequently, a fed-batch reactor with anaerobically precultured lactate-grown cells was fed propionate in microaerobic conditions resulting in biomass increase and production of B. Vitamin yields increased from 0.3 [Formula: see text] B per mmol lactate in anaerobic conditions to 2.4 [Formula: see text] B per mmol lactate and 8.4 [Formula: see text] B per mmol propionate in microaerobic conditions. Yield per cell dry weight (CDW) increased from 41 [Formula: see text] per g CDW in anaerobic conditions on lactate to 92 [Formula: see text] per g CDW on lactate and 184 [Formula: see text] per g CDW on propionate in microaerobic conditions.
CONCLUSIONS
Here we have shown both B yield per substrate and per CDW were highest on cells oxidising propionate in microaerobic conditions, showing the potential of propionate for biotechnological production of vitamin B by P. freudenreichii.
Topics: Propionibacterium freudenreichii; Propionates; Propionibacterium; Vitamin B 12; Lactic Acid; Pyruvates; Vitamins
PubMed: 36307780
DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01945-8 -
The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.... Dec 2013To explore the origin of Propionibacterium in surgical wounds and to suggest an optimized strategy for culturing this organism at the time of revision surgery, we...
BACKGROUND
To explore the origin of Propionibacterium in surgical wounds and to suggest an optimized strategy for culturing this organism at the time of revision surgery, we studied the presence of this organism on the skin and in the surgical wounds of patients who underwent revision arthroplasty for reasons other than apparent infection.
METHODS
Specimens were cultured in broth and on aerobic and anaerobic media. The presence and degree of positivity of Propionibacterium cultures were correlated with sex. The results of dermal and deep cultures were correlated. Times to positivity and the yields of each media type and specimen source were investigated.
RESULTS
Propionibacterium grew in twenty-three of thirty cultures of specimens obtained preoperatively from the unprepared epidermis over the area where a skin incision was going to be made for a shoulder arthroplasty; males had a greater average degree of positivity than females (p < 0.002). Twelve of twenty-one male subjects and zero of twenty female subjects who had cultures of dermal specimens obtained during revision shoulder arthroplasty had positive findings for Propionibacterium (p = 0.0001). Twelve of twenty male subjects and only one of twenty female subjects had positive deep cultures (p = 0.0004). The positivity of dermal cultures for Propionibacterium was significantly associated with the positivity of deep cultures for this organism (p = 0.0001). If Propionibacterium was present in deep tissues, it was likely that it would be recovered by culture if four different specimens were obtained and cultured for a minimum of seventeen days on three different media: aerobic, anaerobic, and broth.
CONCLUSIONS
Because the surgical incision of dermal sebaceous glands may be a source of Propionibacterium in deep wounds, strategies for minimizing the risk of Propionibacterium infections may need to be directed at minimizing the contamination of surgical wounds from these bacteria residing in rather than on the skin. Obtaining at least four specimens, observing them for seventeen days, and using three types of culture media optimize the recovery of Propionibacterium at the time of revision surgery.
Topics: Arthroplasty, Replacement; Bacteriological Techniques; Cell Culture Techniques; Dermis; Epidermis; Evidence-Based Medicine; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Propionibacterium; Reoperation; Shoulder; Time Factors
PubMed: 24306704
DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.L.01733 -
MBio Jul 2014The majority of bacteria detected in the nostril microbiota of most healthy adults belong to three genera: Propionibacterium, Corynebacterium, and Staphylococcus. Among...
The majority of bacteria detected in the nostril microbiota of most healthy adults belong to three genera: Propionibacterium, Corynebacterium, and Staphylococcus. Among these staphylococci is the medically important bacterium Staphylococcus aureus. Almost nothing is known about interspecies interactions among bacteria in the nostrils. We observed that crude extracts of cell-free conditioned medium from Propionibacterium spp. induce S. aureus aggregation in culture. Bioassay-guided fractionation implicated coproporphyrin III (CIII), the most abundant extracellular porphyrin produced by human-associated Propionibacterium spp., as a cause of S. aureus aggregation. This aggregation response depended on the CIII dose and occurred during early stationary-phase growth, and a low pH (~4 to 6) was necessary but was not sufficient for its induction. Additionally, CIII induced plasma-independent S. aureus biofilm development on an abiotic surface in multiple S. aureus strains. In strain UAMS-1, CIII stimulation of biofilm depended on sarA, a key biofilm regulator. This study is one of the first demonstrations of a small-molecule-mediated interaction among medically relevant members of the nostril microbiota and the first description of a role for CIII in bacterial interspecies interactions. Our results indicate that CIII may be an important mediator of S. aureus aggregation and/or biofilm formation in the nostril or other sites inhabited by Propionibacterium spp. and S. aureus. Importance: Very little is known about interspecies interactions among the bacteria that inhabit the adult nostril, including Staphylococcus aureus, a potential pathogen that colonizes about a quarter of adults. We demonstrated that coproporphyrin III (CIII), a diffusible small molecule excreted by nostril- and skin-associated Propionibacterium spp., induces S. aureus aggregation in a manner dependent on dose, growth phase, and pH. CIII also induces S. aureus to form a plasma-independent surface-attached biofilm. This report is the first description of a role for CIII in bacterial interspecies interactions at any human body site and a novel demonstration that nostril microbiota physiology is influenced by small-molecule-mediated interactions.
Topics: Biofilms; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Coproporphyrins; Culture Media, Conditioned; Propionibacterium; Staphylococcus aureus
PubMed: 25053784
DOI: 10.1128/mBio.01286-14 -
STAR Protocols Jun 2022In this protocol, we describe a germ-free model to investigate anaerobic bacterial biofilms. We detail how to establish spp. biofilms in the fruit fly's gut using an...
In this protocol, we describe a germ-free model to investigate anaerobic bacterial biofilms. We detail how to establish spp. biofilms in the fruit fly's gut using an easy to carry out method. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Bronnec and Alexeyev (2021) and Bronnec et al. (2022).
Topics: Animals; Biofilms; Drosophila melanogaster; Propionibacterium
PubMed: 35496790
DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101342