Preterm Infants Harbour a Rapidly Changing Mycobiota That Includes <i>Candida</i> Pathobionts.

ABSTRACT: Fungi and the mycobiome are a fundamental part of the human microbiome that contributes to human health and development. Despite this, relatively little is known about the mycobiome of the preterm infant gut. Here, we have characterised faecal fungal communities present in 11 premature infants born with differing degrees of prematurity and mapped how the mycobiome develops during early infancy. Using an ITS1 sequencing-based approach, the preterm infant gut mycobiome was found to be often dominated by a single species, typically a yeast. Candida was the most abundant genus, with the pathobionts C.albicans and C.parapsilosis highly prevalent and persistent in these infants. Gestational maturity at birth affected the distribution and abundance of these C

SUBMITTER: A James S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7712117 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature