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Nicolas Papon highlights the work by Kakimoto and colleagues that led to the identification of the cytokinin receptor in plants — 20 years ago.

Historically, rabies is the most popular viral brain infection and caused by various Lyssavirus species that are transmitted by dog bites in approximately 99% of human cases [12]. [...]JC virus (JCV), a polyomavirus that commonly establishes asymptomatic infection in the general population, is responsible for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a fatal demyelinating disease of the CNS, in patients with severe immune deficiency. Fungal infections Unlike bacteria, fungi are eukaryotic (mostly saprophytic) organisms with membrane-bound nuclei that obtain nutrients from organic matter. Aspergillosis and mucormycosis are relatively rare but devastating in immunosuppressed patients, while cerebral phaeohyphomycoses mainly occur in immunocompetent individuals [16]. Besides immunological disorders, some environmental, iatrogenic, and host-related factors may predispose an individual to the fungal CNS infection.

  [...]C. tropicalis, C. parapsilosis, C. guilliermondii, C. lusitaniae, C. famata, C. rugosa, and C. dubliniensis form part of the Candida CTG clade and translate CTG codons as serine instead of leucine. [...]even within a clade, the genetic distance between any two NAC species is often larger than the genetic distance between humans and some fishes [18]. [...]in no way should it be argued that C. albicans makes the rules for all NAC species.

The emerging fungal pathogen is known for its strong skin tropism and resilience against antifungal and disinfection treatment, posing a significant challenge for healthcare units. Although efforts to identify the effectors of its unique pathogenic behavior have been insightful, the role of the high-osmolarity glycerol (HOG) pathway in this context remains unexplored. The study by Shivarathri and co-workers (R. Shivarathri, M. Chauhan, A. Datta, D. Das et al., mBio 15:e02748-24, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02748-24) sought to address this gap. This report indeed advances our understanding of the critical role of the HOG pathway in pathogenicity by emphasizing its involvement in skin colonization, biofilm formation, and evasion of phagocyte attack.

2009 saw the first description of Candida auris , a yeast pathogen of humans. C. auris has since grown into a global problem in intensive care settings, where it causes systemic infections in patients with underlying health issues. Recent whole-genome sequencing has discerned five C. auris clades with distinct phenotypic features which display genomic divergence on a DNA sequence and a chromosome structure level. 2009 saw the first description of Candida auris , a yeast pathogen of humans. C. auris has since grown into a global problem in intensive care settings, where it causes systemic infections in patients with underlying health issues. Recent whole-genome sequencing has discerned five C. auris clades with distinct phenotypic features which display genomic divergence on a DNA sequence and a chromosome structure level. In the absence of sexual reproduction in C. auris , the mechanism(s) behind the rapid genomic evolution of this emerging killer yeast has remained obscure. Yet, one important bit of information about chromosome organization was missing, the identification of the centromeres. In a recent study, Sanyal and coworkers (A. Narayanan, R. N. Vadnala, P. Ganguly, P. Selvakumar, et al., mBio 12:e00905-21, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1128/mBio.00905-21 ) filled this knowledge gap by mapping the centromeres in C. auris and its close relatives. This represents a major advance in the chromosome biology of the Candida / Clavispora clade.

The human opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus is recognized for its versatile cell wall when it comes to remodeling its components in adaptation to external threats, and this remodeling renders it refractory to antifungals targeting cell wall biosynthesis. A specific role for general sugar metabolism in the regulation of the synthesis of cell wall polymers has been previously demonstrated. The human opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus is recognized for its versatile cell wall when it comes to remodeling its components in adaptation to external threats, and this remodeling renders it refractory to antifungals targeting cell wall biosynthesis. A specific role for general sugar metabolism in the regulation of the synthesis of cell wall polymers has been previously demonstrated. Delving deeper into central sugar metabolism may reveal unexpected fundamental aspects in cell wall construction, as shown by the work of Zhou and coworkers (Y. Zhou, K. Yan, Q. Qin, O.G. Raimi, et al., mBio 13:e01426-22, 2022, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.01426-22 ) on the roles of the phosphoglucose isomerase of A. fumigatus in cell wall biosynthesis.

Cryptococcus neoformans is a basidiomycetous yeast responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths a year and is particularly threatening in immunocompromised patients. There are few families of antifungals that are available to fight fungal infections, and the unique efficient treatment for the most deadly cerebral forms of cryptococcosis is based on a combination of 5-fluorocytosine and amphotericin B. Cryptococcus neoformans is a basidiomycetous yeast responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths a year and is particularly threatening in immunocompromised patients. There are few families of antifungals that are available to fight fungal infections, and the unique efficient treatment for the most deadly cerebral forms of cryptococcosis is based on a combination of 5-fluorocytosine and amphotericin B. The toxicities of both compounds are elevated, and more therapeutic options are urgently needed for better management of life-threatening cryptococcosis. The newest class of antifungals, i.e., echinocandins, has initially led to great hope. Unfortunately, C. neoformans was rapidly confirmed to be naturally resistant to these molecules, notably caspofungin. In this respect, we discuss here the recent key findings of the Panepinto research group published in mBio (M. C. Kalem et al., mBio 12:e03225-20, 2021, https://doi:10.1128/mBio.03225-20 ) that provide an unprecedented view of how C. neoformans regulates caspofungin resistance through a complex posttranscriptional regulation of cell wall biosynthesis genes.

The interaction between fungal pathogens and host epithelial barriers remains largely unexplored. In a recent issue of Nature Microbiology, Pekmezovic et al. (Nat. Microbiol. 2021) provides evidence for the pivotal role of mitochondria-associated type I interferon signalling in the pathophysiology of vulvovaginal candidiasis.

While extremely prevalent, painful, and difficult to treat, vulvovaginal candidiasis remains largely understudied in the field of women’s health. In a recent issue of mSystems , McKloud et al. (E. While extremely prevalent, painful, and difficult to treat, vulvovaginal candidiasis remains largely understudied in the field of women’s health. In a recent issue of mSystems , McKloud et al. (E. McKloud, C. Delaney, L. Sherry, R. Kean, et al., mSystems 6:e00622-21, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00622-21 ) shed light on a pivotal role of a complex Candida - Lactobacillus interplay that may regulate the pathophysiology of recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC). This advancement not only gives new insight into the molecular mechanisms governing interkingdom interactions modulating RVVC disease, but also provides evidence that probiotic Lactobacillus -based therapeutic approaches could be efficient for fighting these problematical fungal infections.

Paclitaxel, a natural product produced by yew trees, has become an important drug in the fight against cancer. Although more than 4 decades of research have identified numerous enzymes involved in paclitaxel synthesis, our understanding of this pathway's architecture remains incomplete, and a few enzymes have yet to be identified. In a new article published in Nature, McClune and colleagues have developed a pipeline of multi-omics approaches to unravel the remaining enzymes performing key steps in the paclitaxel biosynthetic pathway. These findings open up new possibilities for producing this major anticancer drug using innovative biotechnological processes.