Fungi inhabiting the healthy human gastrointestinal tract: A diverse and dynamic community

Heather E. Hallen-Adams, Stephen D. Kachman, Jaehyoung Kim, Ryan M. Legge, Inés Martínez

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

116 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fungal DNA was selectively amplified, and the ITS region sequenced, from fecal samples taken from 45 healthy human volunteers at one (21 volunteers) or two (24 volunteers) time points. Seventy-two operational taxonomic units, representing two phyla and ten classes of fungi, were recovered. Candida yeasts, notably Candida tropicalis (present in 51 samples), and yeasts in the Dipodascaceae (39 samples), dominated, while 38 OTUs were detected in a single sample each. Fungi included known human symbionts (. Candida, Cryptococcus, Malassezia and Trichosporon spp.), common airborne fungi (. Cladosporium sp.) and fungi known to be associated with food (. Debaryomyces hansenii and high salt fermented foods; Penicillium roqueforti and blue cheese). In contrast with gut-associated bacteria, fungi occurred in much lower abundance and diversity, and fungal composition appeared unstable over time.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)9-17
Number of pages9
JournalFungal Ecology
Volume15
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2015

Keywords

  • CTG yeasts
  • Candida
  • Human gut microbiome
  • Malassezia

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Ecology
  • Ecological Modeling
  • Plant Science

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