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Topic Review
Production of Fungal Pigments
Due to the negative environmental and health effects of synthetic colorants, pigments of natural origins of plants and microbes constitute an abundant source for the food, cosmetic, textile, and pharmaceutical industries. The demands for natural alternatives, which involve natural colorants and natural biological processes for their production, have been growing rapidly. Fungi contain some of the most prolific pigment producers, and they excel in bioavailability, yield, cost-effectiveness, and ease of large-scale cell culture as well as downstream processing.
  • 1.3K
  • 10 Jan 2023
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Saprophytic Filamentous Fungi against Helminths Affecting Captive Wild Animals
In recent decades, important modifications have been introduced in zoos in order to guarantee the welfare of captive wild animals. Thus, many of these species are housed in enclosures with access to vegetation, where they can enjoy habitats close to those in their natural surroundings, interact with the environment, etc. These habitats present beneficial conditions for some species of parasites to survive and spread. This is a very similar problem to that affecting livestock, and the same solution, based on deworming, is currently being applied. However, the free-living stages of certain parasites that develop in the soil are responsible for high rates of ground contamination throughout the year, so that animals become infected soon after successful deworming, resulting in chemical parasiticides being frequently administered. Preventive measures are seldom considered, which worsens the situation. This entry summarizes the usefulness of the dissemination of certain saprophytic filamentous fungi with proven antagonism against some of the parasites.
  • 1.3K
  • 26 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Genomes and the Evolution of the Zygomycetes
The first genome sequence of a zygomycete fungus was from a clinical strain of Rhizopus delemar that was isolated from a patient with mucormycosis—a highly destructive and lethal infection that is typically seen in immunocompromised hosts. Sequencing of the R. delemar genome was driven from the clinical perspective, but it also provided the first genome of a fungus outside of the Dikarya.
  • 1.2K
  • 28 Jul 2023
Topic Review
Mycotoxin Exposure and Children’s Health
The first 1000 days of life are very sensitive to any event that alters health programming, and they represent a window for intervention to improve population health. Pregnant women, fetuses, and infants are particularly vulnerable to exposure to food contaminated with mycotoxins. 
  • 1.2K
  • 29 Mar 2022
Topic Review
Novel Pathogenic Mucorales Identified by Silkworm
Mucormycosis, a rare but highly fatal infection, is caused by fungi of the order Mucorales. Due to their ubiquitous nature, reduced susceptibility to antifungals, acid tolerance, and ability to infect immunocompromised patients through rapid dissemination, these fungi have been frequently reported to infect the COVID-19 patients. In order to develop strategies to overcome mucormycosis, it is essential to understand and identify novel Mucorales present in the environment. 
  • 1.2K
  • 14 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Endophytism of Lecanicillium and Akanthomyces
The rise of the holobiont concept confers a prominent importance to the endophytic associates of plants, particularly to species known to be able to exert a mutualistic role as defensive or growth-promoting agents. The finding that many entomopathogenic fungi are harbored within plant tissues and possess bioactive properties going beyond a merely anti-insectan effect has recently prompted a widespread investigational activity concerning their occurrence and functions in crops, in the aim of an applicative exploitation conforming to the paradigm of sustainable agriculture.
  • 1.2K
  • 01 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Cryptococcus
Cryptococcosis is a disease caused by the pathogenic fungi Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii, both environmental fungi that cause severe pneumonia and may even lead to cryptococcal meningoencephalitis. Although C. neoformans affects more fragile individuals, such as immunocompromised hosts through opportunistic infections, C. gattii causes a serious indiscriminate primary infection in immunocompetent individuals. Typically seen in tropical and subtropical environments, C. gattii has increased its endemic area, largely due to climatic factors that favor contagion in warmer climates. It is important to point out that not only C. gattii, but the Cryptococcus species complex produces a polysaccharidic capsule with immunomodulatory properties, enabling the pathogenic species of Cryptococccus to subvert the host immune response during the establishment of cryptococcosis, facilitating its dissemination in the infected organism. C. gattii causes a more severe and difficult-to-treat infection, with few antifungals eliciting an effective response during chronic treatment. 
  • 1.1K
  • 26 Jul 2022
Topic Review
Mucormycosis and COVID-19-Associated Mucormycosis
Mucormycosis, previously known as zygomycosis, is a rare opportunistic, invasive, and deadly fungal infection that has increased in incidence in the last few years, as a secondary infection in patients with debilitating diseases, such as diabetes, cancer, and organ transplantation, and during natural disasters, such as tsunamis and earthquakes.
  • 1.1K
  • 06 May 2022
Topic Review
Starvation-Induced Autophagy in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in Metabolomics Perspectives
The application of metabolomics has extended the scope of autophagy and provided newer intervention targets against cancer as well as neurodegenerative diseases in which autophagy is implicated. 
  • 1.1K
  • 02 Dec 2021
Topic Review
Secondary Metabolites Produced by Penicillium roqueforti
Filamentous fungi are an important source of natural products. The mold Penicillium roqueforti, which is well-known for being responsible for the characteristic texture, blue-green spots, and aroma of the so-called blue-veined cheeses (French Bleu, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Cabrales, and Valdeón, among others), is able to synthesize different secondary metabolites, including andrastins and mycophenolic acid, as well as several mycotoxins, such as Roquefortines C and D, PR-toxin and eremofortins, Isofumigaclavines A and B, festuclavine, and Annullatins D and F.
  • 1.1K
  • 27 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Pathogen–Host Interaction in Different Non-albicans Candida Species
Fungal infections caused by Candida species have become a constant threat to public health, especially for immunocompromised patients, who are considered susceptible to this type of opportunistic infections. Candida albicans is known as the most common etiological agent of candidiasis; however, other species, such as Candida tropicalis, Candida parapsilosis, Nakaseomyces glabrata (previously known as Candida glabrata), Candida auris, Candida guilliermondii, and Pichia kudriavzevii (previously named as Candida krusei), have also gained great importance.
  • 1.0K
  • 28 Dec 2022
Topic Review
Fungal SPFH Proteins
Integral membrane proteins from the ancient SPFH (stomatin, prohibitin, flotillin, HflK/HflC) protein superfamily are found in nearly all living organisms. Mammalian SPFH proteins are primarily associated with mitochondrial functions but also coordinate key processes such as ion transport, signaling, and mechanosensation. In addition, SPFH proteins are required for virulence in parasites.
  • 1.0K
  • 08 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Antibacterial Activity of Substances of Fungal Origin
The phenomenon of drug resistance in micro-organisms necessitates the search for new compounds capable of combating them. Fungi emerge as a promising source of such compounds as they produce a wide range of secondary metabolites with bacteriostatic or fungistatic activity. These compounds can serve as alternatives for commonly used antibiotics.
  • 981
  • 04 Sep 2023
Topic Review
Characteristics of Ascochyta Blight in Chickpea
Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), one of the most cultivated legumes worldwide, is crucial for the economy of several countries and a valuable source of nutrients. Yields may be severely affected by Ascochyta blight, a disease caused by the fungus Ascochyta rabiei. 
  • 970
  • 27 Apr 2023
Topic Review
Fungal Pathogens on Bast Fiber Crops
Bast fiber crops are an important group of economic crops for the purpose of harvesting fibers from stems. These fibers are sclerenchyma fibers associated with the phloem of plants. They arise either with primary tissues from the apical meristem, or with secondary tissues produced by the lateral meristem. Fungal diseases have become an important factor limiting their yield and quality, causing devastating consequences for the production of bast fiber crops in many parts of the world.
  • 946
  • 09 Feb 2022
Topic Review
Relevant Fusarium Mycotoxins in Malt and Beer
Mycotoxins are secondary fungal metabolites of high concern in the food and feed industry. Their presence in many cereal-based products has been numerously reported. Beer is the most consumed alcoholic beverage worldwide, and Fusarium mycotoxins originating from the malted and unmalted cereals might reach the final product. This entry aims to describe the possible Fusarium fungi that could infect the cereals used in beer production, the transfer of mycotoxins throughout malting and brewing as well as an insight into the incidence of mycotoxins in the craft beer segment of the industry. Studies show that germination is the malting step that can lead to a significant increase in the level of all Fusarium mycotoxins. 
  • 932
  • 29 Jan 2022
Topic Review
Fungal Priming
Priming (also referred to as acclimation, acquired stress resistance, adaptive response, or cross-protection) is defined as an exposure of an organism to mild stress that leads to the development of a subsequent stronger and more protective response. This memory of a previously encountered stress likely provides a strong survival advantage in a rapidly shifting environment. Priming has been identified in animals, plants, fungi, and bacteria.
  • 901
  • 11 May 2022
Topic Review
Respiratory Epithelial Cells against Fungal Infections
The respiratory epithelium is highly complex, and its composition varies along the conducting airways and alveoli. In addition to their primary function in maintaining the respiratory barrier and lung homeostasis for gas exchange, epithelial cells interact with inhaled pathogens, which can manipulate cell signaling pathways, promoting adhesion to these cells or hosting tissue invasion. Moreover, pathogens (or their products) can induce the secretion of chemokines and cytokines by epithelial cells, and in this way, these host cells communicate with the immune system, modulating host defenses and inflammatory outcomes.
  • 886
  • 31 May 2022
Topic Review
Overview of COVID-19-Associated Mucormycosis
Immune-compromised diseases lead to a majority of opportunistic conditions such as oral fungal infections, also known as oral mycosis. Often, the impairment of host resistance leads to the initiation of pathogenic conditions in the oral cavity, and progression through local colonization. The use of immunosuppressive drugs and immunodeficiency upon viral infection, especially in COVID-19 patients, has led to a significant increase in the frequency of oral mycosis globally. 
  • 879
  • 27 May 2022
Topic Review
Targeted Delivery of Antifungal Liposomes to Rhizopus delemar
Mucormycosis (a.k.a. zygomycosis) is an often-life-threatening disease caused by fungi from the ancient fungal division Mucoromycota. Globally, there are nearly a million people with the disease. Rhizopus spp., and R. delemar (R. oryzae, R. arrhizus) in particular, are responsible for most of the diagnosed cases. Pulmonary, rhino-orbito-cerebral, and invasive mucormycosis are most effectively treated with amphotericin B (AmB) and particularly with liposomal formulations (e.g., AmBisome®). However, even after antifungal therapy, there is still a 50% mortality rate. Hence, there is a critical need to improve therapeutics for mucormycosis. Targeting AmB-loaded liposomes (AmB-LLs) with the pathogen receptor Dectin-1 (DEC1-AmB-LLs) to the beta-glucans expressed on the surface of Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans lowers the effective dose required to kill cells relative to untargeted AmB-LLs. Because Dectin-1 is an immune receptor for R. delemar infections and may bind it directly, the researchers explored the Dectin-1-mediated delivery of liposomal AmB to R. delemar. DEC1-AmB-LLs bound 100- to 1000-fold more efficiently to the exopolysaccharide matrix of R. delemar germlings and mature hyphae relative to AmB-LLs. DEC1-AmB-LLs delivering sub-micromolar concentrations of AmB were an order of magnitude more efficient at inhibiting and/or killing R. delemar than AmB-LLs. Targeted antifungal drug-loaded liposomes have the potential to improve the treatment of mucormycosis. 
  • 848
  • 18 Apr 2022
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