Mammals have evolved under an inseparable association with diverse microbial gut colonizers; thus, fine-tuned host-microbial interactions shape our susceptibility to immunological, oncogenic, metabolic and infectious outcomes. The past two decades have seen a rapid expansion of research into intestinal bacterial communities that impact host health in many preclinical and clinical settings. Meanwhile, other less abundant microorganism domains, including fungi, remain far less explored. This Review provides an overview of the literature on the gut mycobiome and evidence of its contributions to host physiology and disease over the past two decades in experimental rodent models, which have been foundational to our current understanding of host-microbe interactions.
© 2025. The Author(s).