Interplay between Fungal Pathogens and Harvested Crops and Fruits

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue "Interplay between Fungal Pathogens and Harvested Crops and Fruits" will concentrate on a significant series of articles with a focus on physiological, biochemical, and molecular aspects of host–pathogen interactions (pathogenic, saprotrophic, endophytic) and mechanisms of mycotoxin accumulation in order to prevent postharvest fungal colonization. High crop losses and decreased quality due to postharvest pathogens requires an understanding of the mechanism modulating fungal colonization and the effect on crops. Pathogens can penetrate postharvest crops directly through wounds during the harvest period and storage handling, or through the cuticle in preharvest commodities. In both cases, disease symptoms are strongly dependent on the etiology of the fungal attack, the physiological stage of the crop and the storage conditions. Pathogen infection of the unripe host initiates defensive signal-transduction cascades, culminating in an accumulation of antifungal proteins that limit fungal growth and development. However, the activation of infections during maturation and ripening is a critical factor for the modulation of susceptibility to postharvest pathogens. During this period, commodities undergo physiological and metabolic changes that affect the nutritional composition availability and cause a decline in resistance mechanisms. The activation of quiescent infection processes occurring in the host during ripening also induces the pathogen metabolic processes modulating optimal gene-expression conditions for fungal colonization, and secondary metabolites and mycotoxin accumulation. In this Special Issue, original research studies and review articles covering the mechanisms of host resistance and or the susceptibility to fungal attack and secondary metabolite accumulation during the process of fungal attack will be considered for publication.

Prof. Dr. Dov Prusky
Dr. Edward Sionov
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.