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Dimorphism and Pathogenesis in Mucor Species

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Evolution of Fungi and Fungal-Like Organisms

Part of the book series: The Mycota ((MYCOTA,volume 14))

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Abstract

Many pathogenic fungi are dimorphic, in which they switch the morphology between yeast and filamentous forms. This dimorphism has been observed in the Dikarya. Interestingly, the genus Mucor is the only group of fungi among the early diverged fungi outside of the Dikarya that exhibits the yeast–hyphae transition. Their morphogenic switch is controlled by environmental factors such as low oxygen and high carbon dioxide concentrations. Genetically, the genes encoding G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR), a serine/threonine phosphatase calcineurin, and subunits of protein kinase A (PKA) all have been documented in the regulation of the dimorphic transitions in Mucor. Mucor circinelloides is one of causative agents of the deadly opportunistic fungal infection mucormycosis. Similar to other known dimorphic fungi (e.g. Candida albicans and Coccidioides species), the morphology directly contributes to the virulence of this fungus. Upon entering a host, it grows as filamentous hyphae and invades the host tissue. This chapter further highlights the recent findings on how genes and the environment play a critical role in dimorphism and the virulence in Mucor and discusses how these findings can serve as a platform for new therapeutic interventions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases (STCEID), The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA

    Alexis Garcia, Courtney P. Smith & Soo Chan Lee

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  1. Alexis Garcia
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  2. Courtney P. Smith
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  3. Soo Chan Lee
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Correspondence to Soo Chan Lee .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Microbiology and Genetics, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany

    Stefanie Pöggeler

  2. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Timothy James

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Garcia, A., Smith, C.P., Lee, S.C. (2023). Dimorphism and Pathogenesis in Mucor Species. In: Pöggeler, S., James, T. (eds) Evolution of Fungi and Fungal-Like Organisms. The Mycota, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29199-9_4

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