Magnus Hallas-Møller, Meike Burow, Bernard Henrissat, Katja Salomon Johansen
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
While the opportunistic human pathogens Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii are often isolated from plants and plant-related material, evidence suggests that these Cryptococcus species do not directly infect plants. Studies find that plants are important for Cryptococcus mating and dispersal. However, these studies have not provided enough detail about how plants and these fungi interact, especially in ways that could show the fungi are capable of causing disease. This review synthesizes recent findings from studies utilizing different plant models associated with the ecology of C. neoformans and C. gattii. Unanswered questions about their environmental role are highlighted. Overall, current research indicates that Cryptococcus utilizes plants as a substrate rather than harming them, arguing against Cryptococcus as a genuine plant pathogen. We hypothesize that plants represent reservoirs that aid dispersal, not hosts vulnerable to infection.
期刊介绍:
Trends in Microbiology serves as a comprehensive, multidisciplinary forum for discussing various aspects of microbiology, spanning cell biology, immunology, genetics, evolution, virology, bacteriology, protozoology, and mycology. In the rapidly evolving field of microbiology, technological advancements, especially in genome sequencing, impact prokaryote biology from pathogens to extremophiles, influencing developments in drugs, vaccines, and industrial enzyme research.