Longitudinal Characterization of the Fungal Skin Microbiota in Healthy Subjects Over the Period of One Year

Beneficial microorganisms on the skin contribute to the first line of defense against attacking pathogens. However, instability of the skin microbiota is associated with skin diseases. Hence, temporal analyses are crucial as they serve as a baseline to understand the development of dysbiosis in disease. In this study, we aim to improve the understanding of the fungal skin microbiota, the mycobiota, in healthy subjects (HS). Skin swabs were taken monthly for a year from four different skin sites, i.e., antecubital crease, dorsal neck, glabella, and vertex, and analyzed by DNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer 1 region. The mycobiota on skin was dominated by the class Malasseziomycetes and the core community was composed of Malassezia restricta, M. globosa, and M. sympodialis at all skin sites. Over the period of one year the intra-personal mycobiota remained largely stable with some fluctuations of low abundant non-Malassezia fungi. We conclude that despite fluctuations of low abundant classes, fungal skin communities form a temporally robust and individual fingerprint in HS.