Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41848410›Full record

ArticleApplied and environmental microbiology2026

Ultraviolet radiation reshapes the metabolome of skin commensal bacteria, influencing AhR signaling and barrier function.

Steven D Mercer, Abigail Elias, George Taylor, Geoff S Briggs, Michael Bell, Andrew J McBain, Catherine A O'Neill

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Applied and environmental microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Steven D MercerDivision of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.ORCID 0009-0006-6488-6957
Abigail EliasDivision of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
George TaylorBiological Mass Spectrometry Core Research Facility, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.
Geoff S BriggsNo.7 Beauty Company, The Boots Group, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Michael BellNo.7 Beauty Company, The Boots Group, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
Andrew J McBainDivision of Pharmacy and Optometry, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-5255-5425
Catherine A O'NeillDivision of Musculoskeletal and Dermatological Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-5456-9396

Funding

The Boots group
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is an environmental stressor to the skin and its associated microbiota. Many commensal bacteria produce tryptophan-derived metabolites that modulate epidermal barrier function through aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling. However, the effects of UVR on these metabolic outputs and the subsequent effects on skin barrier function remain unclear. This study examined these interactions. Individual skin commensal bacteria were irradiated with 37.5 mJ/cm² or 150 mJ/cm² of solar-simulated radiation (SSR). Cell-free supernatants (CFSNs) were collected and analyzed for tryptophan metabolites (using LC-MS), untargeted metabolites (using GC-MS), and AhR agonist activity (via a reporter assay). The effects on barrier function were assessed by measuring transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) of CFSN-treated keratinocyte cultures. Time-course expression of tryptophan-related genes after irradiation was measured by qPCR. Unirradiated bacterial metabolomes were species-specific. Following irradiation, the abundance of metabolites generated by the indole pathway generally increased after 37.5 mJ but decreased following 150 mJ. Untargeted analyses revealed several decreases in amino and organic acid production after high-dose SSR, while 37.5 mJ resulted in fewer changes. Low-dose SSR upregulated genes involved in tryptophan metabolism (

Indexed as

BacteriaMetabolomeReceptors, Aryl HydrocarbonSkinUltraviolet RaysHumansKeratinocytesSignal TransductionSkin MicrobiomeTryptophanReceptors, Aryl HydrocarbonTryptophanaryl hydrocarbon receptorbarrier functionmetabolitesmicrobiomeskintryptophanultraviolet radiation

Identifiers

PMID41848410
PMCPMC13101469

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.