Ecology and Genetics of Medically Important Fungi

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Medical Microbiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 641

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of Biology, Control and Surveillance of Insect Vectors, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Interests: host-fungal interactions; fungal virulence; medically important fungi; entomopathogenic fungi

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Guest Editor
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Enfermagem, Universidade de Guarulhos (UNG), Guarulhos, SP, Brasil
Interests: microbial resistance; antifungal drugs; virulence mechanisms; in vivo experimental models

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Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Parasitology, Discipline of Cellular Biology, Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
Interests: antifungal drugs and resistance; fungi-host interaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are proud to present the Special Issue titled “Ecology and Genetics of Medically Important Fungi”, which aims to showcase recent research on several aspects of medically important fungi. Although the fungi kingdom is vast, a small fraction poses a threat to human or animal health. Environmental and commensal interactions, as well as colonization and infection, contribute to the emergence or potentiation of fungal virulence factors.

The ways in which fungi interact with diverse ecosystems underscores the importance of assessing the impacts of climate change or agricultural practices on the emergence of fungal diseases, including the development of antifungal resistance.

By integrating ecological and molecular perspectives, this Special Issue seeks to advance knowledge on the factors driving fungal pathogenicity and resilience, providing insights that may guide new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches. Contributions based on experimental, clinical, or environmental data are welcome.

We are looking for submissions addressing topics that include, but are not limited to, the following:

1 – Fungi–environment interactions and its consequences to adaptation and pathogenic potential development

2 – Environment driving antifungal resistance

3 – Climate change and the emergence of fungal pathogen-integrative approaches linking human, animal, and environmental health

4 – Recents advances in genetic manipulation and omics tools to study medically important fungi regarding virulence, biological diversity and adaptation

Reviews, original research, and communications are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Caroline Maria Marcos
Dr. Liliana Scorzoni
Dr. Haroldo de Oliveira
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • medical mycology
  • fungal ecology
  • molecular genetics of pathogenic fungi
  • antifungal resistance
  • fungal omics
  • host–pathogen interaction
  • environmental adaptation
  • fungal virulence

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 1647 KB  
Article
Novel Genetic Diversity and Geographic Structures of Aspergillus fumigatus (Order Eurotiales, Family Aspergillaceae) in the Karst Regions of Guizhou, China
by Duanyong Zhou, Yixian Liu, Qifeng Zhang, Ying Zhang and Jianping Xu
Microorganisms 2026, 14(1), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14010237 - 20 Jan 2026
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Abstract
Aspergillus fumigatus is the primary pathogen causing aspergillosis. Recent molecular population genetic studies have demonstrated that A. fumigatus exhibits high local genetic diversity, with evidence for limited differentiation among geographic populations. However, research on the impacts of geomorphological factors on shaping the population [...] Read more.
Aspergillus fumigatus is the primary pathogen causing aspergillosis. Recent molecular population genetic studies have demonstrated that A. fumigatus exhibits high local genetic diversity, with evidence for limited differentiation among geographic populations. However, research on the impacts of geomorphological factors on shaping the population genetic diversity patterns of this species remains scarce. In this study, large-scale sampling and in-depth population genetic analysis were performed on soil-derived A. fumigatus from Guizhou Province, a representative karst landscape in southern China. This area is dominated by plateaus and mountains (accounting for 92.5% of the total area) and represents a classic example of conical karst landscapes. A total of 206 A. fumigatus strains were isolated from 9 sampling sites across Guizhou. Genetic diversity, genetic differentiation, and population structure of these strains were analyzed based on short tandem repeats (STRs) at 9 loci. The results revealed that A. fumigatus in the karst region of Guizhou harbors abundant novel alleles and genotypes, with high genetic diversity. Gene flow among geographical populations was infrequent, and significant genetic differentiation was detected between 30 of the 36 pairs of geographical populations where mountain ranges played a very important role, with the overall regional genetic differentiation reaching PhiPT = 0.061 (p = 0.001). Furthermore, the Guizhou populations showed significant differences from those reported in other regions worldwide. Surprisingly, only one of the 206 (0.49%) A. fumigatus isolates from this region exhibited resistance to the two medical triazoles commonly used for treating aspergillosis, and this resistance frequency was far lower than those reported in previous studies from other regions. We discuss the implications of our results for evolution and environmental antifungal resistance management in this important human fungal pathogen. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecology and Genetics of Medically Important Fungi)
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