Polymicrobial interactions involving fungi and their importance for the environment and in human disease

Abstract

Understanding polymicrobial interactions involving fungi in the environment and the human mycobiome is necessary to address environmental and medically related problems such as drought or antimicrobial resistance. The diversity of these interactions highlights the complexity of fungi, considering how some interactions can be antagonistic, while others synergistic. Over the years, an increase in studies on the mycobiome have revealed similarities between the human and environmental hosts. More recently, studies have focused on microbial commensal relationships and identifying causative agents of human disease. The overlap of some of these interactions is impossible to ignore, indicating that there are areas for medical exploitation that need to be further investigated. This review provides the latest advances in polymicrobial interactions involving fungi and discusses the importance of the fungal lifestyle in the environment and in human disease.

Keywords: Biofilms; Disease; Environment; Fungi; Mycobiome; Polymicrobial interactions.