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American Journal of Veterinary Research Sep 2023To report the density, and constituents, of the mycobiome on the skin surface of normal dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To report the density, and constituents, of the mycobiome on the skin surface of normal dogs.
ANIMALS
20 normal dogs were recruited for this study, with informed consent in all cases.
METHODS
Flocked swabs were used to sample the skin surface and to sample the skin surface after superficial scraping with a blunted scapula. Both samples were taken within a brass guide with an internal area of 3.5 cm-2. Next-generation DNA sequencing was used to identify and quantify components of the mycobiome.
RESULTS
The median density of the mycobiome was 1.1 X 105 cm-2 (IQR, 27,561, 409,572). Cladosporium spp and Vishniacozyma victoriae were found on all 20 dogs.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
Knowledge of the density and the composition of the cutaneous mycobiome will increase our understanding of skin biology and may have relevance to future therapeutic trials.
Topics: Dogs; Animals; Mycobiome; Skin; Fungi
PubMed: 37536686
DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.23.04.0071 -
Current Opinion in Plant Biology Apr 2021Plant-fungal interactions are widespread in nature, and their multiple benefits for plant growth and health have been amply demonstrated. Endophytic and epiphytic fungi... (Review)
Review
Plant-fungal interactions are widespread in nature, and their multiple benefits for plant growth and health have been amply demonstrated. Endophytic and epiphytic fungi can significantly increase plant resilience, improving plant nutrition, stress tolerance and defence. Although some of these interactions have been known for decades, the relevance of the plant mycobiome within the plant microbiome has been largely underestimated. Our limited knowledge of fungal biology and their interactions with plants in the broader phytobiome context has hampered the development of optimal biotechnological applications in agrosystems and natural ecosystems. Exciting recent technical and knowledge advances in the context of molecular and systems biology open a plethora of opportunities for developing this field of research.
Topics: Agriculture; Endophytes; Fungi; Mycobiome; Plants; Symbiosis
PubMed: 33827007
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2021.102034 -
Journal of Translational Medicine Feb 2024The relationship between the gut mycobiome and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) remains largely unexplored.
BACKGROUND
The relationship between the gut mycobiome and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) remains largely unexplored.
METHODS
In this study, we compared the gut fungal populations of 223 ESRD patients and 69 healthy controls (HCs) based on shotgun metagenomic sequencing data, and analyzed their associations with host serum and fecal metabolites.
RESULTS
Our findings revealed that ESRD patients had a higher diversity in the gut mycobiome compared to HCs. Dysbiosis of the gut mycobiome in ESRD patients was characterized by a decrease of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and an increase in various opportunistic pathogens, such as Aspergillus fumigatus, Cladophialophora immunda, Exophiala spinifera, Hortaea werneckii, Trichophyton rubrum, and others. Through multi-omics analysis, we observed a substantial contribution of the gut mycobiome to host serum and fecal metabolomes. The opportunistic pathogens enriched in ESRD patients were frequently and positively correlated with the levels of creatinine, homocysteine, and phenylacetylglycine in the serum. The populations of Saccharomyces, including the HC-enriched Saccharomyces cerevisiae, were frequently and negatively correlated with the levels of various toxic metabolites in the feces.
CONCLUSIONS
Our results provided a comprehensive understanding of the associations between the gut mycobiome and the development of ESRD, which had important implications for guiding future therapeutic studies in this field.
Topics: Humans; Mycobiome; Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Feces; Metabolome; Kidney Failure, Chronic
PubMed: 38403655
DOI: 10.1186/s12967-024-05004-1 -
Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) Mar 2024The human gut microbiota is composed of bacteria (microbiota or microbiome), fungi (mycobiome), viruses, and archaea, but most of the research is primarily focused on... (Review)
Review
The human gut microbiota is composed of bacteria (microbiota or microbiome), fungi (mycobiome), viruses, and archaea, but most of the research is primarily focused on the bacterial component of this ecosystem. Besides bacteria, fungi have been shown to play a role in host health and physiologic functions. However, studies on mycobiota composition during infancy, the factors that might shape infant gut mycobiota, and implications to child health and development are limited. In this review, we discuss the factors likely shaping gut mycobiota, interkingdom interactions, and associations with child health outcomes and highlight the gaps in our current knowledge of this ecosystem.
Topics: Child; Humans; Mycobiome; Child Health; Microbiota; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Bacteria; Fungi
PubMed: 38311313
DOI: 10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100185 -
The Journal of Clinical Investigation Mar 2022The gut microbiome is at the center of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis and disease activity. While this has mainly been studied in the context of the... (Review)
Review
The gut microbiome is at the center of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) pathogenesis and disease activity. While this has mainly been studied in the context of the bacterial microbiome, recent advances have provided tools for the study of host genetics and metagenomics of host-fungal interaction. Through these tools, strong evidence has emerged linking certain fungal taxa, such as Candida and Malassezia, with cellular and molecular pathways of IBD disease biology. Mouse models and human fecal microbial transplant also suggest that some disease-participatory bacteria and fungi may act not via the host directly, but via their fungal-bacterial ecologic interactions. We hope that these insights, and the study design and multi-omics strategies used to develop them, will facilitate the inclusion of the fungal community in basic and translational IBD research.
Topics: Animals; Bacteria; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Metagenomics; Mice; Microbiota; Mycobiome
PubMed: 35229726
DOI: 10.1172/JCI155786 -
Scientific Reports Apr 2023The mycobiome is an integral component of every living organism. Among other fungi associated with plants, endophytes are an interesting and favorable group of...
The mycobiome is an integral component of every living organism. Among other fungi associated with plants, endophytes are an interesting and favorable group of microorganisms, but information regarding them is still largely unknown. Wheat is the most economically significant and essential crop for global food security, which is exposed to a range of abiotic and biotic stresses. Profiling plants' mycobiomes can help in sustainable, chemical-reducing wheat production. The main objective of this work is to understand the structure of endogenous fungal communities in winter and spring wheat cultivars growing under different growth conditions. Further, the study attempted to investigate the effect of host genotype, host organs and plant growth conditions on the composition and distribution of fungi in wheat plant tissues. Comprehensive, high throughput analyzes of the diversity and community structure of the wheat mycobiome were performed, complemented by the simultaneous isolation of endophytic fungi, resulting in candidate strains for future research. The findings of the study revealed that the type of plant organs and growth conditions influence the wheat mycobiome. It was also assessed that fungi representing the genera Cladosporium, Penicillium, and Sarocladium form the core mycobiome of Polish spring and winter wheat cultivars. The coexistence of both symbiotic and pathogenic species in the internal tissues of wheat was also observed. Those commonly considered beneficial for plants can be used in further research as a valuable source of potential biological control factors and/or biostimulators of wheat plant growth.
Topics: Mycobiome; Triticum; Seasons; Fungi; Endophytes
PubMed: 37055465
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33195-y -
PloS One 2021The fungal part of the pulmonary microbiome (mycobiome) is understudied. We report the composition of the oral and pulmonary mycobiome in participants with COPD compared... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
BACKGROUND
The fungal part of the pulmonary microbiome (mycobiome) is understudied. We report the composition of the oral and pulmonary mycobiome in participants with COPD compared to controls in a large-scale single-centre bronchoscopy study (MicroCOPD).
METHODS
Oral wash and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was collected from 93 participants with COPD and 100 controls. Fungal DNA was extracted before sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region of the fungal ribosomal RNA gene cluster. Taxonomic barplots were generated, and we compared taxonomic composition, Shannon index, and beta diversity between study groups, and by use of inhaled steroids.
RESULTS
The oral and pulmonary mycobiomes from controls and participants with COPD were dominated by Candida, and there were more Candida in oral samples compared to BAL for both study groups. Malassezia and Sarocladium were also frequently found in pulmonary samples. No consistent differences were found between study groups in terms of differential abundance/distribution. Alpha and beta diversity did not differ between study groups in pulmonary samples, but beta diversity varied with sample type. The mycobiomes did not seem to be affected by use of inhaled steroids.
CONCLUSION
Oral and pulmonary samples differed in taxonomic composition and diversity, possibly indicating the existence of a pulmonary mycobiome.
Topics: Aged; Case-Control Studies; DNA, Fungal; Female; Fungi; Humans; Lung; Male; Middle Aged; Mouth; Mycobiome; Norway; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive
PubMed: 33826639
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248967 -
EBioMedicine Sep 2021The mycobiome is the fungal component of the gut microbiome and is implicated in several autoimmune diseases. However, its role in MS has not been studied.
BACKGROUND
The mycobiome is the fungal component of the gut microbiome and is implicated in several autoimmune diseases. However, its role in MS has not been studied.
METHODS
In this case-control observational study, we performed ITS sequencing and characterised the gut mycobiome in people with MS (pwMS) and healthy controls at baseline and after six months.
FINDINGS
The mycobiome had significantly higher alpha diversity and inter-subject variation in pwMS than controls. Saccharomyces and Aspergillus were over-represented in pwMS. Saccharomyces was positively correlated with circulating basophils and negatively correlated with regulatory B cells, while Aspergillus was positively correlated with activated CD16 dendritic cells in pwMS. Different mycobiome profiles, defined as mycotypes, were associated with different bacterial microbiome and immune cell subsets in the blood. Initial treatment with dimethyl fumarate, a common immunomodulatory therapy which also has fungicidal activity, did not cause uniform gut mycobiome changes across all pwMS.
INTERPRETATION
There is an alteration of the gut mycobiome in pwMS, compared to healthy controls. Further study is required to assess any causal association of the mycobiome with MS and its direct or indirect interactions with bacteria and autoimmunity.
FUNDING
This work was supported by the Washington University in St. Louis Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences, funded, in part, by Grant Number # UL1 TR000448 from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Clinical and Translational Sciences Award (Zhou Y, Piccio, L, Lovett-Racke A and Tarr PI); R01 NS102633-04 (Zhou Y, Piccio L); the Leon and Harriet Felman Fund for Human MS Research (Piccio L and Cross AH). Cantoni C. was supported by the National MS Society Career Transition Fellowship (TA-1805-31003) and by donations from Whitelaw Terry, Jr. / Valerie Terry Fund. Ghezzi L. was supported by the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Society research fellowship (FISM 2018/B/1) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society Post-Doctoral Fellowship (FG- 1907-34474). Anne Cross was supported by The Manny & Rosalyn Rosenthal-Dr. John L. Trotter MS Center Chair in Neuroimmunology of the Barnes-Jewish Hospital Foundation. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
Topics: Biomarkers; Body Mass Index; Case-Control Studies; Computational Biology; Diet; Disease Susceptibility; Dysbiosis; Feces; Gastrointestinal Microbiome; Host Microbial Interactions; Humans; Metagenome; Metagenomics; Multiple Sclerosis; Mycobiome
PubMed: 34455391
DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103557 -
Mucosal Immunology Apr 2022Fungi are important yet understudied contributors to the microbial communities of the gastrointestinal tract. Starting at birth, the intestinal mycobiome undergoes a... (Review)
Review
Fungi are important yet understudied contributors to the microbial communities of the gastrointestinal tract. Starting at birth, the intestinal mycobiome undergoes a period of dynamic maturation under the influence of microbial, host, and extrinsic influences, with profound functional implications for immune development in early life, and regulation of immune homeostasis throughout life. Candida albicans serves as a model organism for understanding the cross-talk between fungal colonization dynamics and immunity, and exemplifies unique mechanisms of fungal-immune interactions, including fungal dimorphism, though our understanding of other intestinal fungi is growing. Given the prominent role of the gut mycobiome in promoting immune homeostasis, emerging evidence points to fungal dysbiosis as an influential contributor to immune dysregulation in a variety of inflammatory and infectious diseases. Here we review current knowledge on the factors that govern host-fungi interactions in the intestinal tract and immunological outcomes in both mucosal and systemic compartments.
Topics: Candida albicans; Dysbiosis; Fungi; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Immunity, Mucosal; Infant, Newborn; Microbiota; Mycobiome
PubMed: 35474360
DOI: 10.1038/s41385-022-00515-w -
Frontiers in Immunology 2022Human gut microbiome has gained great attention for its proposed roles in the development of hypertension. The fungal microbiome in the human gut (i.e. the mycobiome) is...
OBJECTIVES
Human gut microbiome has gained great attention for its proposed roles in the development of hypertension. The fungal microbiome in the human gut (i.e. the mycobiome) is beginning to gain recognition as a fundamental part of our microbiome. However, the existing knowledge of human mycobiome has never revealed the association between gut mycobiome and hypertension. It is known that inflammation and immunity contribute to human hypertension. Here, we sought to investigate whether gut mycobiome could predict the development of hypertension and its association with immunoglobulin light chains.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
Participants were classified into three cohorts: prehypertension (pre-HTN), hypertension (HTN), and normal-tension (NT) based on their blood pressure. Fresh samples were collected, and the ITS transcribed spacer ribosomal RNA gene sequence was performed. An immunoturbidimetric test was used to examine the serum levels of immunological light chains.
RESULTS
Subjects in both of the states of pre-HTN and HTN had different fungal microbiome community compared to the NT group (FDR<0.05). Slightly higher levels of fungal richness and diversity were observed in the groups of pre-HTN and HTN. The relative abundance of increased in the HTN group compared to that in the NT group, and the relative abundance of enriched in the NT group. For the pre-HTN group, the relative abundance of was positively associated with serum the concentration of light chain (LC) κ (r=0.510, P=0.044); for the HTN group, the relative abundance of was positively associated with the serum concentration of LC κ (P<0.05), the relative abundance of was positively associated with both the serum concentrations of LC κ and LC λ (r>0.30, P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
Our present study demonstrated that gut fungal dysbiosis occurred in the state of prehypertension, and fungal dysbiosis can predict the dysregulation of serum light chains in hypertension patients. Further study on modulating gut fungal community should be focused on balancing the immunological features in hypertension.
Topics: Humans; Mycobiome; Immunoglobulin Light Chains; Prehypertension; Dysbiosis; Hypertension
PubMed: 36643913
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1089295