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Evolution of the human pathogenic lifestyle in fungi

Nature Microbiology volume 7, pages 607–619 (2022)Cite this article

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Abstract

Fungal pathogens cause more than a billion human infections every year, resulting in more than 1.6 million deaths annually. Understanding the natural history and evolutionary ecology of fungi is helping us understand how disease-relevant traits have repeatedly evolved. Different types and mechanisms of genetic variation have contributed to the evolution of fungal pathogenicity and specific genetic differences distinguish pathogens from non-pathogens. Insights into the traits, genetic elements, and genetic and ecological mechanisms that contribute to the evolution of fungal pathogenicity are crucial for developing strategies to both predict emergence of fungal pathogens and develop drugs to combat them.

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Fig. 1: Milestones in the study of fungal diseases.
Fig. 2: Human pathogenicity has evolved repeatedly in fungi.
Fig. 3: Repeated evolution of pathogenicity in the Aspergillus section Fumigati lineage.
Fig. 4: Genetic variation and the evolution of infection-relevant traits.

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Acknowledgements

I thank past and present members of my laboratory, in particular M. Mead and J. Steenwyk, and my collaborators C. T. Hittinger, G. Goldman and N. Oberlies for numerous discussions over the years that have shaped my thinking on the topic. I thank Y. Li for his help with Fig. 1. Research in my laboratory is supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (grant nos R56 AI146096 and R01 AI153356), National Science Foundation (grant nos DEB1442113 and DEB2110404), Guggenheim Foundation and Burroughs Wellcome Fund.

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  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Antonis Rokas

  2. Vanderbilt Evolutionary Studies Initiative, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Antonis Rokas

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Rokas, A. Evolution of the human pathogenic lifestyle in fungi. Nat Microbiol 7, 607–619 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-022-01112-0

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