Toxicological impacts of environmentally relevant cadmium concentrations on Staphylococcus epidermidis: insights from integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics
- 1Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, 510632 China
- 2Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural & Rural Pollution Abatement and Environmental Safety, Key Laboratory of Agro-Environment in the Tropics, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642 China
Abstract
The environmental toxicant cadmium (Cd) can be absorbed by the human body via dermal exposure, yet its influence on skin microbiota remains largely uncharacterized. Staphylococcus epidermidis, a key component of the cutaneous microecosystem, maintains host skin health. This study investigated the interaction between environmentally relevant Cd concentrations and this commensal bacterium, assessing S. epidermidis’ potential barrier function in Cd–skin crosstalk. Exposure to 0.001 mg/L Cd (estimated urban skin exposure level) for 24 h did not significantly inhibit bacterial growth. However, when Cd concentration exceeded 1 mg/L (estimated highly polluted or occupational exposure level), growth inhibition exhibited a dose‑dependent pattern. This isolate exhibited substantial Cd removal capacity, with a maximal removal rate of 94.4% at 3 mg/L Cd. While 0.001 mg/L Cd induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, it did not affect cell proliferation, protein synthesis, or membrane integrity. In contrast, 1 mg/L Cd elicited a significant ROS burst and upregulated antioxidant enzyme activities, compromising proliferation and altering biochemical composition. Multi-omics analyses revealed a concentration-dependent adaptive strategy: under 0.001 mg/L Cd stress, bacteria activated low-cost survival pathways, including metal sensing, iron competition, ROS detoxification, and membrane homeostasis. Under 1 mg/L Cd exposure, augmented Cd chelation and efflux mechanisms, alongside an elevated metabolic burden, partially inhibited proliferation. S. epidermidis effectively mitigates Cd stress at environmentally relevant concentrations, potentially attenuating direct Cd toxicity to cutaneous cells. This study elucidates novel molecular mechanisms governing beneficial skin bacteria’s response to heavy metal exposure and provides a foundation for evaluating environmental pollutant risk to host health via skin microbiota modulation.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-026-05500-y.
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BibTeX
@article{liu2026toxicological,
title = {{Toxicological impacts of environmentally relevant cadmium concentrations on Staphylococcus epidermidis: insights from integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics}},
author = {Saijun Liu and Xiaotian Liao and Minhong Zhang and Hongzhi He},
journal = {BMC Microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12866-026-05500-y},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-026-05500-y},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Toxicological impacts of environmentally relevant cadmium concentrations on Staphylococcus epidermidis: insights from integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics
AU - Saijun Liu
AU - Xiaotian Liao
AU - Minhong Zhang
AU - Hongzhi He
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/06
JO - BMC Microbiology
DO - 10.1186/s12866-026-05500-y
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-026-05500-y
AB - The environmental toxicant cadmium (Cd) can be absorbed by the human body via dermal exposure, yet its influence on skin microbiota remains largely uncharacterized. Staphylococcus epidermidis, a key component of the cutaneous microecosystem, maintains host skin health. This study investigated the interaction between environmentally relevant Cd concentrations and this commensal bacterium, assessing S. epidermidis’ potential barrier function in Cd–skin crosstalk. Exposure to 0.001 mg/L Cd (estimated urban skin exposure level) for 24 h did not significantly inhibit bacterial growth. However, when Cd concentration exceeded 1 mg/L (estimated highly polluted or occupational exposure level), growth inhibition exhibited a dose‑dependent pattern. This isolate exhibited substantial Cd removal capacity, with a maximal removal rate of 94.4% at 3 mg/L Cd. While 0.001 mg/L Cd induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, it did not affect cell proliferation, protein synthesis, or membrane integrity. In contrast, 1 mg/L Cd elicited a significant ROS burst and upregulated antioxidant enzyme activities, compromising proliferation and altering biochemical composition. Multi-omics analyses revealed a concentration-dependent adaptive strategy: under 0.001 mg/L Cd stress, bacteria activated low-cost survival pathways, including metal sensing, iron competition, ROS detoxification, and membrane homeostasis. Under 1 mg/L Cd exposure, augmented Cd chelation and efflux mechanisms, alongside an elevated metabolic burden, partially inhibited proliferation. S. epidermidis effectively mitigates Cd stress at environmentally relevant concentrations, potentially attenuating direct Cd toxicity to cutaneous cells. This study elucidates novel molecular mechanisms governing beneficial skin bacteria’s response to heavy metal exposure and provides a foundation for evaluating environmental pollutant risk to host health via skin microbiota modulation. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-026-05500-y.
SN - 1471-2180
ER -