The vaginal mycobiome: A contemporary perspective on fungi in women's health and diseases

Figures & data

Figure 1. Interactions between Candida and microbiota at the mucosal interface have profound effects on the vaginal ecosystem.^109,120-125 Metabolites and small molecules made by the microbiota affect the metabolism and morphology of Candida species. Changes in microbiota relative abundance also impact the abundance of Candida and its ability to access the mucosal surface, where invasion occurs. In healthy states, when microbiota-derived lactic acid is produced, Candida can alter host cytokine production and promote anti-inflammatory signaling. The contribution of bacterial-fungal interactions to the ecology of the vaginal microbiota remains to be described.