title: Fungal model systems and the elucidation of pathogenicity determinants.
abstract: Fungi have the capacity to cause devastating diseases of both plants and animals, causing significant harvest losses that threaten food security and human mycoses with high mortality rates. As a consequence, there is a critical need to promote development of new antifungal drugs, which requires a comprehensive molecular knowledge of fungal pathogenesis. In this review, we critically evaluate current knowledge of seven fungal organisms used as major research models for fungal pathogenesis. These include pathogens of both animals and plants; Ashbya gossypii, Aspergillus fumigatus, Candida albicans, Fusarium oxysporum, Magnaporthe oryzae, Ustilago maydis and Zymoseptoria tritici. We present key insights into the virulence mechanisms deployed by each species and a comparative overview of key insights obtained from genomic analysis. We then consider current trends and future challenges associated with the study of fungal pathogenicity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain. Electronic address: ge2penae@uco.es.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Perez-Nadales
authors.affiliation: Aberdeen Fungal Group, School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Maria Filomena Almeida
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Beutembergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Clara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baldin
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Funcional y GenómicaCSIC, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Sónia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castanheira
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Mennat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El Ghalid
authors.affiliation: Functional Genomics of Plant Pathogenic Fungi, UMR 5240 CNRS-UCB-INSA-Bayer SAS, Bayer CropScience, 69263 Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grund
authors.affiliation: Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark.
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lengeler
authors.affiliation: Evolution and Genomics of Plant Pathogen Interactions, UR 1290 INRA, BIOGER-CPP, Campus AgroParisTech, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marchegiani
authors.affiliation: Aberdeen Fungal Group, School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Pankaj Vinod
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Mehrotra
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, D-35043 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, D-35043 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Vikram
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Naik
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
authors.forename: Miriam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oses-Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark.
authors.forename: Therese
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oskarsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schäfer
authors.affiliation: Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wasserstrom
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Applied Microbiology, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology - Hans Knöll Institute (HKI), Beutembergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany; Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, Institute of Microbiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Beutenbergstr. 11a, 07745 Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Axel A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Brakhage
authors.affiliation: Aberdeen Fungal Group, School of Medical Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Neil A R
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Gow
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, Department of Organismic Interactions, Karl-von-Frisch-Strasse 10, D-35043 Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Regine
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kahmann
authors.affiliation: Evolution and Genomics of Plant Pathogen Interactions, UR 1290 INRA, BIOGER-CPP, Campus AgroParisTech, 78850 Thiverval-Grignon, France.
authors.forename: Marc-Henri
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lebrun
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Biología Funcional y GenómicaCSIC, Universidad de Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: José
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perez-Martin
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Edificio Gregor Mendel, Planta 1. Campus de Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Pietro
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QD, UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Talbot
authors.affiliation: Biochemistry Department, Bayer SAS, Bayer CropScience, CRLD, 69263 Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Toquin
authors.affiliation: Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.affiliation: Carlsberg Laboratory, Department of Yeast Genetics, Gamle Carlsberg Vej 10, DK-1799, Copenhagen V, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wendland
mesh_terms: D015825:Chromosomes, Fungal; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D016681:Genome, Fungal; D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D064210:Secondary Metabolism; D014774:Virulence
chemical_list: D020929:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinases
keywords: Fungal model organism; Genomics; Human fungal pathogen; Plant fungal pathogen; Virulence