Role of Non-coding RNAs in Fungal Pathogenesis and Antifungal Drug Responses
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MYCOLOGY (R CRAMER, SECTION EDITOR)
Role of Non-coding RNAs in Fungal Pathogenesis and Antifungal Drug Responses Sourabh Dhingra 1 Accepted: 4 August 2020 # The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Purpose of Review Non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), including regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), constitute a significant part of eukaryotic genomes; however, their roles in fungi are just starting to emerge. ncRNAs have been shown to regulate gene expression in response to varying environmental conditions (like stress) and response to chemicals, including antifungal drugs. In this review, I highlighted recent studies focusing on the functional roles of ncRNAs in pathogenic fungi. Recent Findings Emerging evidence suggests sRNAs (small RNAs) and lncRNAs (long non-coding RNAs) play an important role in fungal pathogenesis and antifungal drug response. Their roles include posttranscriptional gene silencing, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling. Fungal pathogens utilize RNA interference (RNAi) mechanisms to regulate pathogenesisrelated genes and can also transfer sRNAs inside the host to suppress host immunity genes to increase virulence. Hosts can also transfer sRNAs to induce RNAi in fungal pathogens to reduce virulence. Additionally, sRNAs and lncRNAs also regulate gene expression in response to antifungal drugs increasing resistance (and possibly tolerance) to drugs. Summary Herein, I discuss what is known about ncRNAs in fungal pathogenesis and antifungal drug responses. Advancements in genomic technologies will help identify the ncRNA repertoire in fungal pathogens, and functional studies will elucidate their mechanisms. This will advance our understanding of host-fungal interactions and potentially help develop better treatment strategies. Keywords siRNA . miRNAs . RNAi . lncRNAs . Fungal pathogenesis . Drug response
Introduction Fungi are a major contributor to animal and plant pathogenesis and crop loss [1]. It is estimated that fungi cause 1.6 million deaths, and over one billion people are affected by fungal infections [2]. Global warming and climate change have resulted in increased incidences of fungal infections, with some animal species on the verge of extinction [3]. Reverse and forward genetic approaches have focused on protein-coding genes to identify molecular mechanisms associated with fungal pathogenesis; however, mortality rates are still high, and This article is part of the Topical Collection on Mycology * Sourabh Dhingra [email protected] 1
Department of Biological Sciences; Eukaryotic Pathogen Innovation Center, Clemson University, 190 Collings St, Life Sciences Building, Clemson, SC, USA
crop losses are increasing [1, 2]. The central dogma, DNA → mRNA → protein, explains protein as a functional unit [4]; however, it exhibits incomplete information regarding gene regulation, timing, and rates of protein production and fails to explain organismal complexity, referred to as the G-value paradox [5]. Recent genomic advances have identified that only 2–3% of the transcriptome
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