Structural characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of the ocular surface microbiota and their relationship with ocular surface health
- 1Department of Ophthalmology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing Key Laboratory of Restoration of Damaged Ocular Nerve, Beijing, China
- 2Fangshan Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
- 3State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition and Feeding, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Feed Industry Centre, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
Abstract
This review delineates the spatial distribution of ocular surface microbiota (OSM) and its dynamic interplay with ocular health. Culture-independent surveys employing 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing reveal an ultra-low-biomass ecosystem characterized by restricted α-diversity. Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria are the dominant phyla. Corynebacterium, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Propionibacterium and Streptococcus show high prevalence and temporal stability. These four genera form a conserved core. Their relative abundance is continuously reshaped by geography, lifestyle, age, sex, delivery mode, contact lens wear and systemic diseases such as dry eye and diabetes. Emerging evidence implicates host-microbe crosstalk, encompassing Toll-like receptor (TLR) and NOD-like receptor (NLR) mediated sensing of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) neutralization, and a putative gut-eye immunoregulatory axis, in ocular immune maturation and the maintenance of immune homeostasis, although direct causal relationships remain to be established. Under physiological conditions, competitive exclusion and negative feedback maintain microbial equilibrium. However, surgical trauma, antibiotics or corticosteroids have been associated with destabilization of this niche, under which commensals may acquire virulence genes, form biofilms and transition into opportunistic pathogens implicated in infectious keratitis, exacerbation of meibomian gland dysfunction and increased dry eye severity. Consequently, high-resolution profiling of OSM composition and function may help clarify disease mechanisms and holds promise for furnishing microbial biomarkers for precision diagnosis and personalized therapeutic intervention.
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BibTeX
@article{zhao2026structural,
title = {{Structural characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of the ocular surface microbiota and their relationship with ocular surface health}},
author = {Tianyao Zhao and Yingjuan Sun and Xiaodan Jiang and Yue Feng and Jing Ding and Xuemin Li and Aihua Deng},
journal = {Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fcimb.2026.1938863},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2026.1938863},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Structural characteristics and regulatory mechanisms of the ocular surface microbiota and their relationship with ocular surface health
AU - Tianyao Zhao
AU - Yingjuan Sun
AU - Xiaodan Jiang
AU - Yue Feng
AU - Jing Ding
AU - Xuemin Li
AU - Aihua Deng
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/21
JO - Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
DO - 10.3389/fcimb.2026.1938863
UR - https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2026.1938863
AB - This review delineates the spatial distribution of ocular surface microbiota (OSM) and its dynamic interplay with ocular health. Culture-independent surveys employing 16S rRNA and metagenomic sequencing reveal an ultra-low-biomass ecosystem characterized by restricted α-diversity. Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria are the dominant phyla. Corynebacterium, coagulase-negative staphylococci, Propionibacterium and Streptococcus show high prevalence and temporal stability. These four genera form a conserved core. Their relative abundance is continuously reshaped by geography, lifestyle, age, sex, delivery mode, contact lens wear and systemic diseases such as dry eye and diabetes. Emerging evidence implicates host-microbe crosstalk, encompassing Toll-like receptor (TLR) and NOD-like receptor (NLR) mediated sensing of pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) neutralization, and a putative gut-eye immunoregulatory axis, in ocular immune maturation and the maintenance of immune homeostasis, although direct causal relationships remain to be established. Under physiological conditions, competitive exclusion and negative feedback maintain microbial equilibrium. However, surgical trauma, antibiotics or corticosteroids have been associated with destabilization of this niche, under which commensals may acquire virulence genes, form biofilms and transition into opportunistic pathogens implicated in infectious keratitis, exacerbation of meibomian gland dysfunction and increased dry eye severity. Consequently, high-resolution profiling of OSM composition and function may help clarify disease mechanisms and holds promise for furnishing microbial biomarkers for precision diagnosis and personalized therapeutic intervention.
SN - 2235-2988
ER -