The Mycobiome: A Neglected Component in the Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis

Microorganisms. 2018 Mar 9;6(1):22. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms6010022.

Abstract

In recent years, the gut microbiota has been considered as a full-fledged actor of the gut-brain axis, making it possible to take a new step in understanding the pathophysiology of both neurological and psychiatric diseases. However, most of the studies have been devoted to gut bacterial microbiota, forgetting the non-negligible fungal flora. In this review, we expose how the role of the fungal component in the microbiota-gut-brain axis is legitimate, through its interactions with both the host, especially with the immune system, and the gut bacteria. We also discuss published data that already attest to a role of the mycobiome in the microbiota-gut-brain axis, and the impact of fungi on clinical and therapeutic research.

Keywords: brain–gut axis; dysbiosis; fungus; microbiome; mycobiome; neurological disorders; psychiatric disorders.

Publication types

  • Review