Fungal Biology Reviews最新文献

The absorption of cadmium (Cd) initiates a sequence of detrimental effects or harm to organisms. The presence of Cd in Saccharomyces cerevisiae affects key metal import channels, leading to a disruption in the balance of metal ions inside the organism. S. cerevisiae has established metal homeostasis mechanisms in response to Cd stress, which regulates metal transporters located in the plasma and vacuole membranes. This review analyzes the maintenance of metal homeostasis in S. cerevisiae and its mechanism from three different perspectives: (1) the effects of Cd on metals, (2) the reaction of Yap1 with Cd, and (3) glutathione (GSH) regulates the homeostasis of Yap1 in relation to metal transporters. This helps us to understand how metal homeostasis is maintained in S. cerevisiae when exposed to Cd. The generally held belief is that the reaction to Cd poisoning is strongly linked to oxidative stress. This review will offer insights into new reaction pathways to Cd that are different from oxidative stress, specifically focusing on the Cd(GS)₂ complex.

The genus Trichosporon includes yeasts that are naturally present within the human gastrointestinal tract, on the skin, and as part of the vaginal microbiota. This genus is an opportunistic pathogen, commonly found in fungal infections affecting immunocompromised individuals. The species Trichosporon asahii (T. asahii) causes the majority of trichosporonoses and is therefore widely studied, particularly in relation to its pathogenicity and its emerging resistance to antifungal drugs used to treat the disease. However, T. asahii also has important biotechnological applications, particularly its depolluting abilities and its bioproduction of flavor compounds (e.g., terpenes, C13-Norisoprenoids, C6 compounds, methyl hexanoate, and ethyl isovalerate) and antioxidant molecules. T. asahii also produces substances that inhibit certain contaminants found in dairy products, such as Kocuria rhizophila, Clostridium tyrobutyricum, and Salmonella enterica. Paradoxically, this yeast species also has some potential probiotic applications. This review aims to discuss and provide updates on the taxonomy, pathogenicity, and biotechnological relevance of T. asahii.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play a pivotal role in soil organic carbon (C) dynamics. AMF can channel C obtained from plants into the soil as labile and recalcitrant materials with contrasting impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) reserves. Labile C supply, while increasing microbial biomass, can also elevate microbial respiration, leading to enhanced organic matter turnover. Conversely, the production of recalcitrant materials, including biomass and glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) can promote SOC sequestration directly by acting as long-term C storage, strengthening soil aggregates, and promoting the formation of mineral-bound organic carbon. The contrasting impacts of AMF products on SOC often generate controversies regarding the role of AMF communities in C capture, especially under rising atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. Emerging evidence suggests that distinct AMF phylogeny exhibit varying soil organic matter mobilization and symbiotic nutrient exchange abilities owing to their divergent life histories. However, we argue that resource use efficiency among AMF species significantly influences the phenotypic outcome of AM symbiosis, as well as their impacts on soil carbon dynamics. AMF functional traits favoring recalcitrant C substances including glomalin-related proteins and mineral-associated organic matter over labile C may positively impact SOC sequestration in the long-term. Whereas an AMF functional guild promoting plant growth through labile C (i.e., sugars) exudation may increase SOC turnover leading to lead to SOC loss. Although strong mutualist AMF may negatively impact SOC stocks, they can compensate for this trade-off by depositing fresh, newly fixed C and promoting plant photosynthesis. The ways in which this trade-off is offset can vary among different AMF species and community compositions, warranting further investigation.

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) alter the molecular structure and function of proteins while tightly regulating protein turnover and activity. Eukaryotes exhibit a wide range of PTMs, including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, acetylation, glycosylation, methylation, lipidation, and palmitoylation. Ubiquitination, facilitates the degradation of specific substrates through PTMs. This process heavily relies on the SCF complex (SKP1-Cullin-F-box protein) a type of E3 ubiquitin ligase, which plays a crucial role in the recruitment of target substrates for ubiquitination. Apart from substrate degradation, F-box proteins in pathogenic fungi are involved in diverse cellular processes essential for fungal growth and virulence. In this review article, we summarize the functions of various F-box proteins in pathogenic fungi, discussing their roles in cellular functions such as pathogenicity during host infection, transcription and cell cycle progression, endocytic recycling, sexual reproduction, mitochondrial connectivity, and maintenance of circadian rhythm. Furthermore, recent studies have revealed a novel function of fungal F-box proteins in biofuel production via CAZymes, highlighting their industrial significance. This comprehensive review aims to enhance our understanding of the emerging role of F-box proteins in host-pathogen interactions, and it holds broader significance for the scientific community, stimulating new discussions and future investigations in this field.

Fungi exhibit a wide range of sporophore morphologies. Amongst the Agaricomycetes, sporophores include mushroom, coralloid, bracket and sequestrate forms. A striking observation is the repeated independent evolution of sequestrate forms, which have arisen more than 100 times from lineages where exposed spore-bearing tissues are the ancestral condition. Here we review the evolution of a particular sequestrate morphology in Agaricales, the labyrinthine sequestrate syndrome. We draw on knowledge of genetic mechanisms involved in sporophore development of agarics (mushrooms) and suggest potential genetic changes in relation to the alterations to pileus, lamellae and stipe during development. We discuss mechanisms that could give rise to the sequestrate syndrome.

The demand to develop protein production systems that are both economically and scientifically viable is reflected in the global scenario, where filamentous fungi, due to their interesting characteristics such as the high capacity to secrete proteins into the culture medium, growth in relatively simple substrates and robust post-translational machinery, among others, are presented as promising alternatives for the creation and establishment of these systems. Currently, these organisms produce a wide range of proteins, such as glycosidases, lipases, and proteases, for example. Scientific and technological development has increasingly allowed the evolution of molecular biology techniques that facilitate the genetic modification of organisms, thus, stimulating the establishment of new protein production systems. Amongst these techniques, it is possible to highlight the CRISPR/Cas system, a relatively simple, low-cost, and high-efficient tool for genetic modifications. Filamentous fungi, organisms widely used for protein production, have been used in a relatively low number of studies related to the production of (hemi-)cellulases using the CRISPR/Cas system as a genomic editing tool. (Hemi-)cellulases, enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of saccharides, are a class of enzymes that are highly researched and applied in several biotechnological areas in order to obtain a wide range of value-added bioproducts, such as bioethanol, for example. In this context, this review aims to illustrate the scenario of the application of the CRISPR/Cas technique for the production of (hemi-)cellulases, highlighting the main studies to date and the perspectives of a market that tends to grow exponentially in the coming years.