J. Heitman

Discovery of Mycodnaviridae, a clade of giant viruses that persistently infect zoosporic fungi

The paper discovers a new family of giant viruses, Mycodnaviridae, that infect zoosporic fungi and persistently infect them, expanding the known host range of Nucleocytoviricota.

Alternative ergosterol biosynthetic pathways confer antifungal drug resistance in the human pathogens within the Mucor species complex

This study identifies Erg3 and Erg6a as key enzymes in the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway of Mucor circinelloides, showing their roles in antifungal drug resistance and virulence.

Duplication and neofunctionalization of a horizontally-transferred xyloglucanase as a facet of the red queen co-evolutionary dynamic

The paper investigates the duplication and neofunctionalization of a horizontally-transferred xyloglucanase gene in oomycetes, showing how these variants contribute to plant pathogenesis and host-pathogen co-evolution.

Enhanced fungal specificity and in vivo therapeutic efficacy of a C-22 modified FK520 analog against C. neoformans

This paper identifies a modified FK520 analog, JH-FK-08, with reduced immunosuppression and improved antifungal efficacy against C. neoformans in vivo.

Genome-wide analysis of heat stress-stimulated transposon mobility in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deneoformans

The paper investigates heat stress-induced transposon mobility in Cryptococcus deneoformans using whole-genome sequencing, finding increased retroelement mobilization at 37°C compared to 30°C.

Obligate sexual reproduction of a homothallic fungus closely related to the Cryptococcus pathogenic species complex

This study identifies the genetic mechanism enabling self-compatible sexual reproduction in Cryptococcus depauperatus, a fungus closely related to human pathogens.

Structure-guided synthesis of FK506 and FK520 analogs with increased selectivity exhibit in vivo therapeutic efficacy against Cryptococcus

This paper develops FK506 analogs with improved fungal selectivity and antifungal efficacy, showing reduced immunosuppression and therapeutic benefit in fungal infection models.

Multiple hybridization events punctuate the evolutionary trajectory of Malassezia furfur

This study identifies multiple hybridization events in Malassezia furfur through comparative genomics and reveals a pseudobipolar mating system.

Rampant transposition following RNAi loss causes hypermutation and antifungal drug resistance in clinical isolates of a human fungal pathogen

The paper identifies hypermutation and antifungal drug resistance in Cryptococcus neoformans clinical isolates caused by RNAi loss and transposon proliferation.

Dynamic genome plasticity during unisexual reproduction in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deneoformans

This study identifies cell cycle regulators involved in ploidy transitions during unisexual reproduction in C. deneoformans and reveals segmental aneuploidy associated with azole resistance.

Uniparental nuclear inheritance following bisexual mating in fungi

The paper discovers pseudosexual reproduction in Cryptococcus neoformans, where only one parental nucleus is inherited during bisexual mating, similar to hybridogenesis in animals.

A novel mycovirus evokes transcriptional rewiring in the fungus Malassezia and stimulates interferon-β production in macrophages

This study identifies a novel mycovirus in Malassezia that alters transcriptional profiles and induces interferon-β in macrophages, suggesting potential implications for fungal pathogenicity.

Multiple pathways to homothallism in closely related yeast lineages in the Basidiomycota

This study identifies distinct molecular mechanisms of homothallism in two closely related yeast species, suggesting independent evolution of this trait within the Cystofilobasidiales lineage.

Application of an optimized annotation pipeline to the Cryptococcus deuterogattii genome reveals dynamic primary metabolic gene clusters and genomic impact of RNAi loss

The paper optimizes an annotation pipeline for Cryptococcus deuterogattii using RNA-seq data, revealing dynamic transcriptome features and genomic changes linked to RNAi loss.

Horizontal gene transfer in the human and skin commensal Malassezia: a bacterially-derived flavohemoglobin is required for NO resistance and host interaction

This study identifies bacterially-derived flavohemoglobin in Malassezia, acquired via horizontal gene transfer, as essential for nitric oxide resistance and host interaction.

Transposon mobilization in the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deneoformans is mutagenic during infection and promotes drug resistance in vitro

This study shows that transposon mobilization in Cryptococcus deneoformans increases mutagenesis and drug resistance during infection and in vitro.

Leveraging Fungal Calcineurin-Inhibitor Structures, Biophysics and Dynamics to Design Selective and Non-Immunosuppressive FK506 Analogs

The paper designs fungal-selective FK506 analogs by analyzing structural and biophysical differences between human and fungal FKBP12 proteins.

A novel resistance pathway for calcineurin inhibitors in the human pathogenic Mucorales Mucor circinelloides

This paper identifies a novel resistance mechanism in Mucor circinelloides involving the bycA gene, which promotes yeast growth and resistance to calcineurin inhibitors through a cAMP-independent pathway.

Tornadic shear stress induces a transient, calcineurin-dependent hyper-virulent phenotype in Mucorales molds

This study shows that tornadic shear stress induces a transient, calcineurin-dependent hyper-virulent phenotype in Mucorales molds, with potential therapeutic implications for trauma-related mucormycosis.

Long transposon-rich centromeres in an oomycete reveal divergence of centromere features in Stramenopila-Alveolata-Rhizaria lineages

This paper identifies centromeres in Phytophthora sojae using long-read sequencing and ChIP-seq, revealing transposon-rich, heterochromatic regions distinct from other SAR supergroup organisms.

Hypermutation in Cryptococcus reveals anovel pathway to 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) resistance

The paper identifies a novel pathway to 5-fluorocytosine resistance in Cryptococcus through hypermutation and mutations in the UXS1 gene.

Unisexual reproduction promotes competition for mating partners in the global human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus deneoformans

This study shows unisexual reproduction in Cryptococcus deneoformans enhances mating competition by promoting hyphal growth and pheromone response, despite a fitness cost.

Convergent evolution of linked mating-type loci in basidiomycete fungi

The paper analyzes mating-type loci in Trichosporonales fungi, showing fused MAT loci with conserved gene order, supporting convergent evolution of linked mating-type regions.

Advancing functional genetics through Agrobacterium-mediated insertional mutagenesis and CRISPR/Cas9 in the commensal and pathogenic yeast Malassezia furfur

This study uses Agrobacterium-mediated mutagenesis and CRISPR/Cas9 to identify gene functions in Malassezia furfur by generating and characterizing mutants under stress conditions.

Drug-resistant epimutants exhibit organ-specific stability and induction during murine infections caused by the human fungal pathogen Mucor circinelloides

This study shows that epimutation in Mucor circinelloides can be induced and reverted in a murine infection model, with higher rates observed in brain infections compared to other organs.

Genetic and genomic analyses reveal boundaries between species closely related to Cryptococcus pathogens

This study uses genomic analysis to identify three genetically distinct species within the Cryptococcus amylolentus complex, revealing chromosomal rearrangements and reproductive barriers.

Broad antifungal resistance mediated by RNAi-dependent epimutation in the basal human fungal pathogen Mucor circinelloides

The paper identifies RNAi-dependent epimutation as a mechanism for broad antifungal resistance in Mucor circinelloides, showing it can silence multiple genes involved in antifungal metabolism.

Cryptococcus deuterogattii VGIIa infection associated with travel to the Pacific Northwest outbreak region in an anti-GM-CSF autoantibody positive patient in the United States

This paper reports a case of C. deuterogattii VGIIa infection in a U.S. patient linked to travel to the PNW outbreak region and associated with anti-GM-CSF autoantibodies.

Outbreak of invasive wound mucormycosis in a burn unit due to multiple strains of Mucor circinelloides f. circinelloides resolved by whole genome sequencing

This study used whole genome sequencing to investigate an outbreak of invasive wound mucormycosis in a burn unit, revealing multiple strains from an environmental reservoir rather than direct patient-to-patient transmission.