Vijaya Chandra, S. H., Srinivas, R., Dawson, T. L., & Common, J. E. (2021). Cutaneous Malassezia: Commensal, Pathogen, or Protector? Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2020.614446
Abstract:
The skin microbial community is a multifunctional ecosystem aiding prevention of infections from transient pathogens, maintenance of host immune homeostasis, and skin health. A better understanding of the complex milieu of microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions will be required to define the ecosystem’s optimal function and enable rational design of microbiome targeted interventions.Malassezia, a fungal genus currently comprising 18 species and numerous functionally distinct strains, are lipid-dependent basidiomycetous yeasts and integral components of the skin microbiome. The high proportion ofMalasseziain the skin microbiome makes understanding their role in healthy and diseased skin crucial to development of functional skin health knowledge and understanding of normal, healthy skin homeostasis. Over the last decade, new tools forMalasseziaculture, detection, and genetic manipulation have revealed not only the ubiquity ofMalasseziaon skin but new pathogenic roles in seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, and pancreatic ductal carcinoma. Application of these tools continues to peel back the layers ofMalassezia/skin interactions, including clear examples of pathogenicity, commensalism, and potential protective or beneficial activities creating mutualism. Our increased understanding of host- and microbe-specific interactions should lead to identification of key factors that maintain skin in a state of healthy mutualism or, in turn, initiate pathogenic changes. These approaches are leading toward development of new therapeutic targets and treatment options. This review discusses recent developments that have expanded our understanding ofMalassezia’s role in the skin microbiome, with a focus on its multiple roles in health and disease as commensal, pathogen, and protector.
License type:
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Funding Info:
This research / project is supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) - “Skin Research Institute of Singapore” A*STAR BMRC EDB IAF-PP grant
Grant Reference no. : H17/01/a0/004
This research / project is supported by the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) - “Asian Skin Microbiome Program” A*STAR BMRC EDB IAF-PP grant
Grant Reference no. : H18/01a0/016