title: The interaction of fungi with the environment orchestrated by RNAi.
abstract: The fungal kingdom has been key in the investigation of the biogenesis and function of small RNAs (sRNAs). The discovery of phenomena such as quelling in Neurospora crassa represents pioneering work in the identification of the main elements of the RNA interference (RNAi) machinery. Recent discoveries in the regulatory mechanisms in some yeast and filamentous fungi are helping us reach a deeper understanding of the transcriptional and post-transcriptional gene-silencing mechanisms involved in genome protection against viral infections, DNA damage and transposon activity. Although most of these mechanisms are reasonably well understood, their role in the physiology, response to the environment and interaction of fungi with other organisms had remained elusive. Nevertheless, studies in fungi such as Mucor circinelloides, Magnaporthe oryzae, Cryptococcus neoformans, Trichoderma atroviride, Botrytis cinerea and others have started to shed light on the relevance of the RNAi pathway. In these fungi gene regulation by RNAi is important for growth, reproduction, control of viral infections and transposon activity, as well as in the development of antibiotic resistance and interactions with their hosts. Moreover, the increasing number of reports of the discovery of microRNA-like RNAs in fungi under different conditions highlights the importance of fungi as models for understanding adaptation to the environment using regulation by sRNAs. The goal of this review is to provide the reader with an up-to-date overview of the importance of RNAi in the interaction of fungi with their environment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad. Cinvestav Campus Guanajuato. Km 9.6 Libramiento Norte, carretera Irapuato-León. 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico.
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Villalobos-Escobedo
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio Nacional de Genómica para la Biodiversidad. Cinvestav Campus Guanajuato. Km 9.6 Libramiento Norte, carretera Irapuato-León. 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico aherrera@langebio.cinvestav.mx.
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Herrera-Estrella
authors.affiliation: StelaGenomics México, S de RL de CV, Av. Camino Real de Guanajuato S/N, 36821 Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico.
authors.forename: Nohemí
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carreras-Villaseñor
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005658:Fungi / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal; D034622:RNA Interference; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D012331:RNA, Fungal
keywords: argonaute; dicer; gene expression; microRNA; small RNA