Alterations of Gut Mycobiota Profiles in Adenoma and Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Accumulating evidence indicates that gut microbiota dysbiosis contributes to colorectal cancer and adenoma. However, a few studies revealed the altered gut mycobiota architecture in colorectal cancer. The present study characterized the gut mycobiota profiles in adenoma and colorectal cancer patients by metagenomic sequencing. Malassezia restricta increased, while Leucoagaricus_sp_SymCcos and fungal_sp_ARF18 significantly decreased in adenoma. Phanerochaete_chrysosporium, Lachancea_waltii, and Aspergillus_rambellii were the top 3 fungi that were significantly enriched in colorectal cancer, while Candida_versatilis, Pseudocercospora_pini_densiflorae, and Candida_sp_JCM_15000 were dominant in the healthy controls. Thirteen fungi, ranked as critical biomarkers in diagnosing colorectal cancer, showed positive associations among all samples. Lachancea_waltii and Phanerochaete_chrysosporium showed the most significant association within CRC. The values of area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUROC) of selected 13 mycobiota were 0.926 in the training model and 0.757 in the 10-fold validation model. Our study provided a reliable investigation of the alterations of gut mycobiota in the development of colorectal cancer and established a convincing diagnostic model for colorectal cancer, which might improve the treatment strategy for colorectal cancer in the future.

Keywords: colorectal cancer; diagnostic model; gut mycobiota; metagenomic sequencing; microbial network.