Like lichen or corals we are 'holobionts' i.e. multispecies superorganisms that consist of animal and symbiotic microbes, on which normal physiological functions depend.
The mycobiota are a critical part of the gut microbiome, but host-fungal interactions and specific functional contributions of commensal fungi to host fitness remain incompletely understood. We found by serendipity that the fungal commensal Kazachstania heterogenica var. weizmannii prevents Candida albicans colonization of murine intestines, and significantly reduces commensal C. albicans burdens in pre-colonized animals, thereby mitigating candidiasis development.
We now aim to define the mechanism underlying this competition and to explore the therapeutic potential of competitive fungal commensalism for the management of C. albicans-mediated pathologies.
Publications:
Sekeresova Kralova, Donic et al. JExMed 2024
Sekeresova Kralova et al. MRA 2024
Past and present Jung lab members involved in these studies:
Jarmila Sekeresova Kralova, Catalina Donic.
Past and Current Funding:
BINA
MAVRI ISF (together with J. Berman, TAU)