Respiring to infect: Emerging links between mitochondria, the electron transport chain, and fungal pathogenesis

Abstract

It is clear that mitochondria are critically important for the ability of the major fungal pathogens of humans to cause disease. However, mitochondrial processes such as iron metabolism, respiration, and carbon metabolism are central to proliferation, making it difficult to evaluate specific contributions to virulence (Fig 1). This challenge is particularly well illustrated by the impact on the cell surface, the response to stresses encountered in the host, and aspects of morphogenesis. Additional studies are therefore needed to understand the integration of mitochondrial functions with virulence, to appreciate fungal-specific contributions of mitochondria, and to further explore the organelle as a potential therapeutic target.