CSIR-CCMB Study Reveals New Clues to Fungal Virulence

Fungal infections, among the most underestimated global health threats, are contributing to rising hospitalisations and deaths while also devastating crops, reducing agricultural yields and aggravating food insecurity. Addressing this dual crisis affecting both public health and agriculture, researchers at the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, have uncovered a crucial insight into how fungi become pathogenic.

The study reveals that a fungus’s ability to switch shapes — a key determinant of its infectiousness — is governed not only by genetic signalling networks but also by its internal energy-generating metabolic processes. This discovery points to a promising new pathway for antifungal drug development, shifting focus beyond genes to fungal metabolism as a therapeutic target.

Shape-Shifting and Infection

Fungi typically exist in two major forms:

• a small, oval yeast form, and
• a larger filamentous form.

The ability to transition between these forms plays a critical role in fungal virulence and disease progression. The CCMB findings show that this transformation is closely linked to how fungi generate and manage energy, offering new insights into why certain fungi become dangerous under specific conditions.

Why Fungi Matter

Fungi are primitive yet highly adaptable organisms, responsible for common infections such as athlete’s foot and yeast infections, as well as life-threatening systemic diseases. They are found everywhere — in air, soil, water, on plants, and even inside the human body. While only about half of known fungal species are harmful, their impact on health and agriculture is significant.

Fungi can be single-celled or complex multicellular organisms. Common examples include mushrooms, mould and mildew. Although mushrooms resemble plants, fungi are evolutionarily closer to animals. Unlike plants, fungi do not photosynthesise. Instead, they live within their food source, secreting enzymes to break down nutrients, which they then absorb.

Source: TH