Malassezia: A Commensal, Pathogen, and Mutualist of Human and Animal Skin

Identified in the late nineteenth century as a single species residing on human skin, Malassezia is now recognized as a diverse genus comprising 18 species inhabiting not only skin but human gut, hospital environments, and even deep-sea sponges. All cultivated Malassezia species are lipid dependent, having lost genes for lipid synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. The surging interest in Malassezia results from development of tools to improve sampling, culture, identification, and genetic engineering, which has led to findings implicating it in numerous skin diseases, Crohn disease, and pancreatic cancer. However, it has become clear that Malassezia plays a multifaceted role in human health, with mutualistic activity in atopic dermatitis and a preventive effect against other skin infections due to its potential to compete with skin pathogens such as Candida auris. Improved understanding of complexmicrobe-microbe and host-microbe interactions will be required to define Malassezia's role in human and animal health and disease so as to design targeted interventions.

Automated summary

Malassezia is a diverse genus that can be found in various environments of the human body. It plays multiple roles in human health, potentially causing skin diseases while also preventing skin infections. Further research on the complex microbe-microbe and host-microbe interactions is needed to understand its exact role.