About this Research Topic
Recent years have seen rapid progress in our understanding of the structure and function of eukaryotic chromosomes- the mechanisms by which they are replicated, repaired, and segregated and also how chromatin packaging influences gene expression. Studies of fungi have made fundamental contributions to this progress and in particular, the model yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Schizosaccharomyces pombe have served as key drivers of the field. Features such as small genome size, genetic conservation with humans, and experimental tractability have allowed these organisms to form a foundation for a large part of chromosome biology research whether in unicellular or multicellular eukaryotes. In addition, research on pathogenic fungi (many of which are filamentous in nature) including the human pathogens, Candida, Crypotococcus, Aspergillus, and Mucor species, along with plant pathogens such as Ustilago, Magnaporthe, Fusarium, and Zymoseptoria species, has shed light on how the ability of these organisms to colonize host environments is influenced by their chromatin and chromosome biology.
Fungi are important experimental systems in biological, medical, and agricultural research. Unicellular yeasts (S. cerevisiae, S. pombe) have long been amongst the most favored model organisms for both geneticists and epigeneticists alike. Furthermore, a variety of hypermorphic filamentous fungi are important pathogens both in hospital environments and in agriculture. Recent advances in genomics have meant that numerous fungal genomes have been fully sequenced. Tools for the genetic manipulation of different fungi are also being developed at a rapid pace. All of this means that research on a variety of different species of fungi, whether pathogenic or otherwise, continues to provide crucial insights into how eukaryotic genomes evolve and adapt to changing environments, right from the way they are packaged in the nucleus, to how they are replicated and inherited from one generation to the next. This special issue will serve as a valuable resource for not just mycologists but also researchers working on more complex eukaryotic systems whose primary focus lies within the areas of chromatin, chromosome, and genome regulation, and their applicability to real-world problems.
This special issue will invite a varied range of manuscripts - original research articles, perspectives, opinions, and reviews on diverse but related topics within the subject of chromatin, chromosome, and genome biology of pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi, including but not restricted to:
- chromatin packaging and regulation in normal vs challenging environments
- chromosome segregation and aneuploidy
- DNA replication and repair
- regulation of repetitive DNA sequences including centromeres, telomeres, and transposable elements
- supernumary chromosomes and their role in genome plasticity and adaptability
Fungi are important experimental systems in biological, medical, and agricultural research. Unicellular yeasts (S. cerevisiae, S. pombe) have long been amongst the most favored model organisms for both geneticists and epigeneticists alike. Furthermore, a variety of hypermorphic filamentous fungi are important pathogens both in hospital environments and in agriculture. Recent advances in genomics have meant that numerous fungal genomes have been fully sequenced. Tools for the genetic manipulation of different fungi are also being developed at a rapid pace. All of this means that research on a variety of different species of fungi, whether pathogenic or otherwise, continues to provide crucial insights into how eukaryotic genomes evolve and adapt to changing environments, right from the way they are packaged in the nucleus, to how they are replicated and inherited from one generation to the next. This special issue will serve as a valuable resource for not just mycologists but also researchers working on more complex eukaryotic systems whose primary focus lies within the areas of chromatin, chromosome, and genome regulation, and their applicability to real-world problems.
This special issue will invite a varied range of manuscripts - original research articles, perspectives, opinions, and reviews on diverse but related topics within the subject of chromatin, chromosome, and genome biology of pathogenic and non-pathogenic fungi, including but not restricted to:
- chromatin packaging and regulation in normal vs challenging environments
- chromosome segregation and aneuploidy
- DNA replication and repair
- regulation of repetitive DNA sequences including centromeres, telomeres, and transposable elements
- supernumary chromosomes and their role in genome plasticity and adaptability
Keywords: chromatin, chromosomes, epigenetics, fungi, heterochromatin, centromere, telomere, kinetochore, mitosis, DNA replication, DNA repair, repetitive DNA, accessory chromosomes, supernumary chromosomes, transposable elements
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
