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Pathogens
Special Issues
Emerging and Rare Fungal Pathogens in a Changing World
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Emerging and Rare Fungal Pathogens in a Changing World

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2026 | Viewed by 2138

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Elena De Carolis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dipartimento di Scienze di Laboratorio ed Ematologiche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy
Interests: medical mycology; antifungal resistance; fungal typing; MALDI-TOF MS; FTIR; medical mycology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past two decades, the frequency and diversity of invasive fungal infections have risen markedly, reflecting profound changes in global health and patient demographics. The growing population of individuals with compromised immunity, including recipients of solid-organ or bone marrow transplants, patients undergoing major surgery, and those affected by AIDS, malignancies, or immunosuppressive therapies, has provided fertile ground for opportunistic fungal pathogens. An expanding spectrum of emerging and rare yeasts and molds is changing the landscape of fungal infections. Many of these organisms exhibit intrinsic resistance to standard antifungal therapies, complicating clinical management and emphasizing the need for accurate identification and tailored treatment and surveillance strategies. This Special Issue will explore the most innovative aspects of diagnostics, epidemiology, molecular mechanisms, and therapeutics surrounding emerging or rare fungal pathogens.

In an era of increasing medical complexity and global environmental change, it is my honor to warmly invite colleagues in the scientific community to submit original articles, reviews, and clinical cases related to emerging or rare fungal infections in humans.

Dr. Elena De Carolis
Guest Editor

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. Pathogens 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 2200 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.

 

Keywords

  • emerging fungal pathogens
  • antifungal resistance
  • advances in fungal diagnosis

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 3398 KB  
Article
Genomic Analysis of Resistance to Exserohilum turcicum in Nigerien and Senegalese Sorghum Using GWAS and Machine Learning
by Louis K. Prom, Ezekiel J. S. Ahn, Adama R. Tukuli, Jacob R. Botkin, Sunchung Park, Lindsey C. Perkin and Clint W. Magill
Pathogens 2026, 15(4), 389; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15040389 - 5 Apr 2026
Viewed by 395
Abstract
Sorghum, an essential crop in Niger, ranks second to pearl millet in importance for food, feed, and commerce. However, its yields are hindered by various factors, including diseases such as leaf blight caused by Exserohilum turcicum. In this study, field phenotypes were [...] Read more.
Sorghum, an essential crop in Niger, ranks second to pearl millet in importance for food, feed, and commerce. However, its yields are hindered by various factors, including diseases such as leaf blight caused by Exserohilum turcicum. In this study, field phenotypes were analyzed on 102 accessions (including checks SC748-5 and BTx623) grown and evaluated at two locations in Niger for leaf blight incidence and severity. The panel included accessions originally collected from Niger and Senegal. Genotypes were generated for 120 accessions, and GWAS/ML analyses were performed on 102 accessions due to missing phenotypic data. Among the accessions, S39, N23, and N38 exhibited mean leaf blight incidence below 50%, while S3, S43, N23, and N38 displayed the lowest severity levels, with a mean severity in Niger of 24.5 ± 0.64. Accession N23 showed relatively low incidence and severity levels across the Niger field evaluations. Using genome-wide association studies and machine learning, candidate SNPs associated with leaf blight phenotypes were identified. Genes near these SNPs were associated with functions related to plant defense mechanisms and stress responses, providing preliminary targets for future validation in sorghum leaf blight studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging and Rare Fungal Pathogens in a Changing World)
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20 pages, 2189 KB  
Article
HTD1265 Disrupts GimC-Dependent Cellular Processes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
by Kaori Itto-Nakama, Naoya Hosoyamada, Shinsuke Ohnuki, Fumiyuki Shirai, Minagi Mukaiyama, Hiroyuki Hirano, Hiroyuki Osada, Charles Boone, Takeo Usui, Yoko Yashiroda and Yoshikazu Ohya
Pathogens 2026, 15(2), 185; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15020185 - 7 Feb 2026
Viewed by 695
Abstract
HTD1265 is a newly identified antifungal compound that displays potent activity against Candida krusei, a clinically challenging non-albicans species. To elucidate its mechanism of action, we applied an integrative phenotypic approach combining high-resolution morphological profiling, pathway inference, and genetic validation in [...] Read more.
HTD1265 is a newly identified antifungal compound that displays potent activity against Candida krusei, a clinically challenging non-albicans species. To elucidate its mechanism of action, we applied an integrative phenotypic approach combining high-resolution morphological profiling, pathway inference, and genetic validation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Morphological signature extraction revealed a characteristic defect in nuclear positioning upon HTD1265 treatment. Integration of nuclear positioning traits with global morphological similarity highlighted 36 genes enriched for the Gene Ontology term “tubulin complex assembly.” Consistent with this prediction, HTD1265 impaired mitotic spindle elongation without directly inhibiting tubulin polymerization. HTD1265 further induced hallmarks of GimC (prefoldin) deficiency, including aberrant chitin accumulation, actin disorganization, and nuclear mispositioning, and caused hypersensitivity in GimC subunit mutants. These converging observations suggest that HTD1265 exerts antifungal activity by disrupting GimC-dependent cellular processes rather than by directly targeting tubulin. Our findings highlight GimC-dependent cytoskeletal and cell wall regulatory processes as a critical vulnerability for fungal growth and position HTD1265 as a functional tool for dissecting this pathway. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging and Rare Fungal Pathogens in a Changing World)
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23 pages, 2065 KB  
Article
Seasonal Turnover in Bat Skin Mycobiota: Contrasting Fungal Communities Between Hibernation and Reproduction in Greater Mouse-Eared Bats (Myotis myotis)
by Rafał Ogórek, Jakub Suchodolski, Justyna Borzęcka and Tomasz Kokurewicz
Pathogens 2026, 15(1), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens15010083 - 12 Jan 2026
Viewed by 684
Abstract
The skin of bats hosts diverse microbial communities, yet most research has focused on bacteria or single fungal pathogens such as Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Here, we present the first direct comparison of culturable skin mycobiota in the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis [...] Read more.
The skin of bats hosts diverse microbial communities, yet most research has focused on bacteria or single fungal pathogens such as Pseudogymnoascus destructans. Here, we present the first direct comparison of culturable skin mycobiota in the greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) between hibernation and the reproductive season. Swabs collected from hibernating bats in the Nietoperek reserve and from maternity colonies in Lipy yielded 41 fungal species, including 27 that represent new records for M. myotis. Winter assemblages were less diverse but strongly dominated by Penicillium (>90% of isolates), while summer maternity roosts supported broader communities shaped by environmental exposure and plant-associated fungi. Despite seasonal turnover, a small set of taxa, including Aspergillus fumigatus, Mucor fragilis, and Pseudogymnoascus pannorum, persisted across both seasons, indicating the presence of a limited core mycobiota. Richness was higher on wing membranes than on tail membranes, whereas biometric variables such as sex, age, body mass, and forearm length showed only weak and inconsistent associations with fungal diversity. These findings demonstrate that seasonal filtering is likely one of the main factors determining the skin mycobiota in M. myotis. Additionally, we expand the known fungal diversity of this species, and emphasize its role as a reservoir of environmental, opportunistic, and pathogenic fungi. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emerging and Rare Fungal Pathogens in a Changing World)
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