P. Acnes, or Propionibacterium Acnes is now known as C. Acnes, or Cutibacterium Acnes. Makes it a lot easier to call bacteria “cutie”!

Acne bacteria was first observed in 1896 and called Bacillus Acne/Acne Bacillus in medical literature. It was named Bacillus for it’s rod shape.

Acnes Bacillus was later named Propionibacterium Acnes for its ability to generate propionic acid, a degradation product of sugar. Propionic, or propanoic acid, is produced when bacteria ferment sugars such as glucose (bacteria love glycerol molecules!). The Propionibacteria found naturally on the skin, in sebaceous glands, and in the intestines, produce propionic acid and carbon dioxide in a fermentation reaction that also produces ATP. It does not use oxygen to create ATP, but it is aerotolerant. Propionibacterium Acnes is typically an aerotolerant anaerobe and is relatively slow-growing.

In 2016, P. acnes was taxonomically reclassified as a result of a recent genetic analysis that has identified even more species of the family Propionibacteriaceae. The cutaneous species was now distinguishable from other species that had been previously categorized as P. acnes.

The new name "Cutibacterium" given to the group of Propionibacteria that are found on and in humans, includes what we used to call P. humerusii (7 different strains), P. namnetense (1 strain), P. acnes (114 strains), P. avidum (3 strains), P. granulosum (2 strains).

Cutibacterium specifically refers to the strain of bacteria that inhabits human skin, where it is known to exacerbate acne and inflammation if overpopulated.

Here is a link to bacteria taxonomy if you want to get down and dirty with your acne bacteria knowledge.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Taxonomy/Browser/wwwtax.cgi?id=31957 

More “cutie” info:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jdv.15043 

XO Cassandra Lanning
The Renegade Esthetician
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