The aim of this review was to survey all fungal pathologists with an association with the journal Molecular Plant Pathology and ask them to nominate which fungal pathogens they would place in a 'Top 10' based on scientific/economic importance. The survey generated 495 votes from the international community, and resulted in the generation of a Top 10 fungal plant pathogen list for Molecular Plant Pathology. The Top 10 list includes, in rank order, (1) Magnaporthe oryzae; (2) Botrytis cinerea; (3) Puccinia spp.; (4) Fusarium graminearum; (5) Fusarium oxysporum; (6) Blumeria graminis; (7) Mycosphaerella graminicola; (8) Colletotrichum spp.; (9) Ustilago maydis; (10) Melampsora lini, with honourable mentions for fungi just missing out on the Top 10, including Phakopsora pachyrhizi and Rhizoctonia solani. This article presents a short resume of each fungus in the Top 10 list and its importance, with the intent of initiating discussion and debate amongst the plant mycology community, as well as laying down a bench-mark. It will be interesting to see in future years how perceptions change and what fungi will comprise any future Top 10.

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The Top 10 fungal pathogens in molecular plant pathology

The incidence of invasive mycoses is increasing, especially among patients who are immunocompromised or hospitalized with serious underlying diseases. Such infections may be broken into two broad categories: opportunistic and endemic. The most important agents of the opportunistic mycoses are Candida spp., Cryptococcus neoformans, Pneumocystis jirovecii, and Aspergillus spp. (although the list of potential pathogens is ever expanding); while the most commonly encountered endemic mycoses are due to Histoplasma capsulatum, Coccidioides immitis/posadasii, and Blastomyces dermatitidis. This review discusses the epidemiologic profiles of these invasive mycoses in North America, as well as risk factors for infection, and the pathogens' antifungal susceptibility.

Epidemiology of Invasive Mycoses in North America

https://www.clinicalmicrobiologyandinfection.com/article/S1198-743X(14)60228-7/pdf

ESCMID† and ECMM‡ joint clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and management of mucormycosis 2013

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The Top 10 fungal pathogens in molecular plant pathology: Top 10 fungal pathogens

Taxonomy: Kingdom Fungi; Phylum Ascomycota; Class Sordariomycetes; Order Hypocreales; Family Nectriaceae; genus Fusarium. Host range: Very broad at the species level. More than 120 different formae speciales have been identified based on specificity to host species belonging to a wide range of plant families. Disease symptoms: Initial symptoms of vascular wilt include vein clearing and leaf epinasty, followed by stunting, yellowing of the lower leaves, progressive wilting, defoliation and, finally, death of the plant. On fungal colonization, the vascular tissue turns brown, which is clearly visible in cross-sections of the stem. Some formae speciales are not primarily vascular pathogens, but cause foot and root rot or bulb rot. Economic importance: Can cause severe losses in many vegetables and flowers, field crops, such as cotton, and plantation crops, such as banana, date palm and oil palm. Control: Use of resistant varieties is the only practical measure for controlling the disease in the field. In glasshouses, soil sterilization can be performed. Useful websites: http://www.broad.mit.edu/annotation/genome/fusarium_group/MultiHome.html; http://www.fgsc.net/Fusarium/fushome.htm; http://www.phi-base.org/query.php

Pathogen profile update: Fusarium oxysporum

Different virulence levels of the species of Sporothrix in a murine model

Knockout mutants of Fusarium oxysporum lacking the putative photoreceptor Wc1 were impaired in aerial hyphae, surface hydrophobicity, light-induced carotenogenesis, photoreactivation after UV treatment, and upregulation of photolyase gene transcription. Infection experiments with tomato plants and immunodepressed mice revealed that Wc1 is dispensable for pathogenicity on plants but required for full virulence on mammals.

https://journals.asm.org/doi/pdf/10.1128/EC.00072-08

Role of the White Collar 1 Photoreceptor in Carotenogenesis, UV Resistance, Hydrophobicity, and Virulence of Fusarium oxysporum

In a murine model of disseminated zygomycosis, low doses of amphotericin B (0.3 mg/kg body weight/day) combined with posaconazole (40 mg/kg/day) prolonged survival and reduced tissue burden with respect to that of controls and that of both drugs administered alone. Results were similar to those obtained with amphotericin B given alone at 0.8 mg/kg/day.

Posaconazole Combined with Amphotericin B, an Effective Therapy for a Murine Disseminated Infection Caused by Rhizopus oryzae

Rho-type GTPases regulate polarized growth in yeast by reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton and through signalling pathways that control the expression of cell wall biosynthetic genes. We report the cloning and functional analysis of rho1 from Fusarium oxysporum, a soilborne fungal pathogen causing vascular wilt on plants and opportunistic infections in humans. F. oxysporum strains carrying either a Deltarho1 loss-of-function mutation or a rho1(G14V) gain-of-function allele were viable, but displayed a severely restricted colony phenotype which was partially relieved by the osmotic stabilizer sorbitol, indicating structural alterations in the cell wall. Consistent with this hypothesis, Deltarho1 strains showed increased resistance to cell wall-degrading enzymes and staining with Calcofluor white, as well as changes in chitin and glucan synthase gene expression and enzymatic activity. Re-introduction of a functional rho1 allele into the Deltarho1 mutant fully restored the wild-type phenotype. The Deltarho1 strain had dramatically reduced virulence on tomato plants, but was as virulent as the wild type on immunodepressed mice. Thus, Rho1 plays a key role during fungal infection of plants, but not of mammalian hosts.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1462-5822.2008.01130.x

Rho1 has distinct functions in morphogenesis, cell wall biosynthesis and virulence of Fusarium oxysporum

We have evaluated the efficacies of micafungin, amphotericin B, and voriconazole, alone and in double and triple combinations, in a murine model of systemic infection by Scedosporium prolificans. Micafungin combined with voriconazole or amphotericin B was the most effective, these being the only treatments able to prolong survival and to reduce the fungal load in the kidneys and brain. Triple combinations of these drugs did not improve the results obtained with double combinations.

Marçal Mariné

Papers

Different virulence levels of the species of Sporothrix in a murine model

Role of the White Collar 1 Photoreceptor in Carotenogenesis, UV Resistance, Hydrophobicity, and Virulence of Fusarium oxysporum

Posaconazole Combined with Amphotericin B, an Effective Therapy for a Murine Disseminated Infection Caused by Rhizopus oryzae

Rho1 has distinct functions in morphogenesis, cell wall biosynthesis and virulence of Fusarium oxysporum

Effects of Double and Triple Combinations of Antifungal Drugs in a Murine Model of Disseminated Infection by Scedosporium prolificans