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The ability of fungal pathogens to induce infection and later survive in its host is dependent on virulence factors. Often these factors are based on primary metabolites (hydrophobins, proteases, phospholipases, catalases etc.). Nonetheless many pathogen produced secondary metabolites are also involved in the infection process. Their true role during infection used to be rather undervalued. First part of this bachelor degree thesis aims to describe host-pathogen relation and afterwards introduce reader with some basic, commonly accepted virulence factors of fungi. In the second part of this thesis known roles of secondary metabolites are described in each stages of progressing infection. In the first stage a pathogen needs to create a suitable habitat on host tissues to ensure growth. This is in part done by antimicrobial substances (...). In later stages pathogen prevents phagocytosis of its spores by host (melanins). Successful infection is often accompanied with host tissue damage that is induced by production of cytotoxic substances (xanthomegnin, riboflavin) and immunoregulation of host immune system (gliotoxin, pseurotin). Last but not least there are virulence factors that ensure prolonged survival in host (siderophores). Fungal pathogens of poikiloterm animals are mostly not primary... |
