New Insights into Fungal Pathogenesis, Mechanisms of Virulence and Resistance to Antifungals
A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Fungal Pathogens".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2025) | Viewed by 328
Special Issue Editor
Interests: mycology; fungal pathogens; virulence factors; conventional and molecular identification of fungi; Cryptococcus; malassezia; etiological factors of dermatomycoses; antifungals; mechanisms of resistance; evolution of determinants of fungal pathogenicity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear colleagues,
The mechanisms of fungal pathogenesis, including those that allow for averting the host immune attack and those related to intrinsic or acquired resistance to drugs, are still poorly explored. The factors that drive fungal pathogens to activate virulence traits and the evolutionary paths of virulence and drug resistance mechanisms are not well understood.
In this exciting context, Pathogens is launching a Special Issue calling for manuscripts extended to those providing updates on the mechanisms of fungal pathogenesis, the evolution of fungal virulence factors, and adaptations for the colonization and penetration of host tissues. Papers contributing to the discussion on evolutionary solutions or strategies which allow for effectively avoiding components of innate and adaptive immune responses or mechanisms of acquired resistance antifungals will be equally valuable. Additionally, studies providing new insights into the adaptations causing and prolonging infection, along with their distribution within different taxa, are also welcome. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Both original articles and review papers are welcomed. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Fungal capsules, their distribution within the eukaryotic taxa and role in adaptation to the environment and pathogenesis;
- Melanin and other natural pigments, and their protective role in fungi capable of their synthesis;
- Fungal antiphagocytic proteins and others that effectively disturb the immune response;
- Transcytosis, womocytosis and dragocytosis as the ways of transmission of etiological factors and strategies of interactions between pathogen cells and cells of the host immune system;
- Fungal infectious propagules and their role in the environment and during infection;
- Morphological transformation as a strategy promoting infection or its persistence that enables evasion of phagocytic cells;
- Intrinsic and acquired resistance to antifungals and ways for overcoming them;
- New drug targets, alternative therapies/strategies, chemosensitizers, nanoparticles and drug carriers or delivery systems;
- Highly specialized opportunistic pathogens and their evolutionary adaptations to colonize narrow ecological niches or utilize specific substrates (such as lipid-dependent fungi or keratinolytic fungi);
- Virulence factors and their distribution within the fungal kingdom and their evolution among species within the same taxon.
Dr. Mariusz Dylag
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- fungal pathogens
- pathogenesis
- virulence factors
- resistance mechanisms
- immune response
- host–pathogen interactions
- antifungals
- drug targets
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