Talaromyces marneffei is a lethal human pathogenic fungus endemic to Southeast Asia. While the previously reported mycovirus Talaromyces marneffei partitivirus 1 (TmPV1)​ is known to enhance fungal virulence, a study published in Mycology reveals a second mycovirus, Talaromyces marneffei narnavirus 1 (TmNV1), that functions as a key virulence attenuator in T. marneffei. Notably, TmPV1 was found to synergistically amplify most of the hypovirulent effects induced by TmNV1.

The critical role of pathogen effector proteins in mediating microbial infection and pathogenesis has been extensively and thoroughly studied. However, research on effector proteins from endophytic microorganisms has progressed more slowly, and their biological functions and mechanisms of action remain largely unclear. The research group previously isolated an endophytic strain of Fusarium lateritium from the medicinal plant Nothapodytes pittosporoides. This strain exhibits significant growth-promoting and disease-resistant effects on certain solanaceous crops. This study mined fungal-secreted effector proteins using plant apoplast proteomics and transcriptomics, and revealed at the molecular level a novel mechanism by which the pectinase-type effector CREP1 activates plant immunity. These findings provide a new theoretical basis for further elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying the growth-promoting and disease-resistant activities of endophytic fungi, and lay a foundation for the development of endophytic fungi as "plant vaccines."

In a paper published in Mycology, a team of scientists demonstrated that agricultural azole fungicides can induce broad-spectrum cross-resistance to first-line clinical azole antifungal drugs in Candida tropicalis, and elucidated that the core mechanism underlying this resistance is azole stress-driven formation of chromosomal aneuploidy coupled with the marked upregulation of associated azole resistance genes.

The growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) calls for effective solutions such as phage therapy. In China, phage therapy has been implemented in over 30 hospitals, treating more than 500 patients with multidrug-resistant infections. Phage therapy can currently be developed through two pathways: as a novel biomedical technology or as a new drug. However, regulatory ambiguity persists due to a lack of standardized quality criteria and clear approval frameworks. This article proposes a "standards first, pathway pilots, and industry cultivation" strategy. Key recommendations include developing national quality control guidelines for therapeutic phage preparations and clarifying the detailed guidelines for approval policies for new biomedical technologies, biologics, and advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs). These efforts aim to enable safe and effective clinical translation, positioning China as a frontrunner in phage therapy and making significant contributions to the global response against AMR.

In a paper published in the international peer-reviewed journal Mycology, a research team led by Professor Yi Wang and Professor Weiming Zhu from Ocean University of China reports a novel epigenetic strategy to efficiently upregulate the biosynthesis of Monascus pigments (MPs), a widely used natural colorant. By disrupting the Ash2 gene in the acidophilic fungus Talaromyces purpurogenus OUCMDZ-019, the team achieved robust activation of MPs biosynthetic pathways, discovered four new azaphilone pigments, and confirmed the strain is free of the harmful mycotoxin citrinin, providing a safe and high-performance solution for the industrial production of natural pigments.