Extracellular Vesicles in Fungi: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives

Juliana Rizzo (1) , Marcio Rodrigues (2, 3) , Guilhem Janbon (1)

1 Biologie des ARN des Pathogènes fongiques - RNA Biology of Fungal Pathogens
2 ICC - Fiocruz Paraná - Instituto Carlos Chagas / Carlos Chagas Institute [Curitiba, Brésil]
3 UFRJ - Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have garnered much interest in the cell biology and biomedical research fields. Many studies have reported the existence of EVs in all types of living cells, including in fifteen different fungal genera. EVs play diverse biological roles, from the regulation of physiological events and response to specific environmental conditions to the mediation of highly complex interkingdom communications. This review will provide a historical perspective on EVs produced by fungi and an overview of the recent discoveries in the field. We will also review the current knowledge about EV biogenesis and cargo, their role in cell-to-cell interactions, and methods of EV analysis. Finally, we will discuss the perspectives of EVs as vehicles for the delivery of biologically active molecules.

Keywords: extracellular vesicles; fungal infections; fungal physiology; intercellular communication; pathogenesis

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Microbiology and Parasitology; Mycology

Juliana Rizzo, Marcio Rodrigues, Guilhem Janbon. Extracellular Vesicles in Fungi: Past, Present, and Future Perspectives. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 2020, 10, pp.346. ⟨10.3389/fcimb.2020.00346⟩. ⟨pasteur-03692311⟩