Bacterial-fungal interactions: Ecology, mechanisms and challenges

484Citations
Citations of this article
932Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Fungi and bacteria are found living together in a wide variety of environments. Their interactions are significant drivers of many ecosystem functions and are important for the health of plants and animals. A large number of fungal and bacterial families engage in complex interactions that lead to critical behavioural shifts of the microorganisms ranging from mutualism to antagonism. The importance of bacterial-fungal interactions (BFI) in environmental science, medicine and biotechnology has led to the emergence of a dynamic and multidisciplinary research field that combines highly diverse approaches including molecular biology, genomics, geochemistry, chemical and microbial ecology, biophysics and ecological modelling. In this review, we discuss recent advances that underscore the roles of BFI across relevant habitats and ecosystems. A particular focus is placed on the understanding of BFI within complex microbial communities and in regard of the metaorganism concept. We also discuss recent discoveries that clarify the (molecular) mechanisms involved in bacterial-fungal relationships, and the contribution of new technologies to decipher generic principles of BFI in terms of physical associations and molecular dialogues. Finally, we discuss future directions for research in order to stimulate synergy within the BFI research area and to resolve outstanding questions.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Deveau, A., Bonito, G., Uehling, J., Paoletti, M., Becker, M., Bindschedler, S., … Wick, L. Y. (2018, May 1). Bacterial-fungal interactions: Ecology, mechanisms and challenges. FEMS Microbiology Reviews. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsre/fuy008

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free