Oral Colonization of Fungi

Opportunistic microbes are able to exist as commensals or pathogens depending on local environmental conditions. The bacterial microbiome at mucosal sites (gut, oral and vaginal) has been well characterized but there has been less focus on the fungal component of the microbiome, the “mycobiome”, especially of the oral mucosa. Genomic characterization studies have shown that Candida species are the most prevalent fungal species in the mycobiomes of the murine gut and human oral cavity, with C. albicans being the most abundant fungal species in the oral cavity. In this review, we outline recent advances in the characterization of the oral mycobiome, how different Candida species colonize, invade and infect the oral cavity, and how epithelial surfaces play a key role in antifungal activity and discriminate between commensal and pathogenic Candida.