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Plants, fungi, and antifungals: A little less talk, a little more action

Summary

Plants and fungi communicate through small chemical molecules, and scientists are discovering that understanding this dialogue could lead to new antifungal medicines. Researchers found that a plant hormone called strigolactone affects a specific fungal protein involved in nutrient uptake, suggesting this could be a target for new drugs. By using baker’s yeast as a laboratory model, scientists can study how fungal cells respond to plant chemicals and identify new ways to fight dangerous fungal infections that are becoming resistant to current treatments.

Background

Fungal pathogens cause significant crop losses and human mortality, with fungal diseases now exceeding malaria and rivaling tuberculosis cases annually. Current antifungal treatments are limited to four drug classes targeting the fungal cell wall or ergosterol, leading to emerging resistance in both agricultural and clinical settings. The World Health Organization has called for urgent research into novel antifungal strategies.

Objective

To explore plant-fungal chemical communication as a source for discovering new antifungal compounds and druggable targets in fungi. To identify how plant hormones regulate fungal processes and how this knowledge can be leveraged for antifungal drug development.

Results

Six of eight plant hormones are known to influence fungal processes across diverse species. Strigolactones specifically modulate phosphate homeostasis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae through the Pho84 transporter. The Pho84 protein is conserved across pathogenic fungi and represents a druggable target distinct from human phosphate transporters.

Conclusion

Plant-derived small molecules represent an untapped resource for antifungal discovery, with phosphate metabolism emerging as a key target. Using yeast as a model to decode plant-fungal chemical signals can identify new drug targets and lead compounds for addressing both human and agricultural fungal infections.
  • Published in:PLoS Pathogens,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1013395, PMID: 40763154
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