Toxins and other relevant disease mechanism traits for the four major genera of phytopathogenic fungi

Abstract

Herein, we described the four most relevant genera of mycotoxigenic fungi and an overview of their known mechanisms of pathogenesis. We used concrete examples on applicable (economically and within the food-system) crops for each genus, considering the type of plants these fungal pathogens attack. For Alternaria, we briefly discussed hydrolytic enzymes (necessary to degrade plant cell structures during invasion, e.g., cellulose), host-specific toxins, and pathotypes. For Aspergillus, some human diseases are mentioned, along with the most common fruits and other crops, hydrolytic enzymes, and metabolites. Then, for Fusarium pathogens, we make particular emphasis on metabolites; we also centered the discussion in the disease on different products and the role of pathotypes in pathogenesis for this genus with specific examples. Finally, we focused on metabolites for Penicillium, including protein effectors and unique aspects of fungicide resistance as evidence of a direct trait exacerbating pathogenicity. We briefly considered some histopathological infection processes in pathogenesis and potato, redox reactions, signaling, molecules associated with virulence, and the effect of some soil substrates in pathogenicity. Hence, we navigated some the related pathogenicity features exhibited by these fungal pathogens as well as the characteristics that set each apart, hoping to better understand mechanisms of pathogenicity for each.