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Summary 8

Bacterial-Fungal Interactions: Hyphens between Agricultural, Clinical, Environmental, and Food Microbiologists by P. Frey-Klett, P. Burlinson, A. Deveau, M. Barret, M. Tarkka and A. Sarniguet.​

        Bacterial-fungal interactions (BFIs) often have important ramifications for the biology of the interacting partners. Contemporary studies have revealed that fungi and bacteria often form physically and metabolically interdependent consortia that harbor properties distinct from those of their single components. BFI is considered  as a scenario in which the fungus or bacterium has a direct effect on the other microorganism, thus excluding situations of mere physical proximity and also exclude situations in which the effect of one partner on the other is mediated solely through a third organism, such as the systemic induction of plant immunity . Complexes containing bacteria and fungi are found in many distinct environments, such as the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients; the human oral cavity; the production of foods such as cheese, wine, tempeh, and sourdough; and agricultural and forest environments. The physical associations between them can range from seemingly disordered polymicrobial communities to highly specific symbiotic associations of fungal hyphae and bacterial cells.  Bacterial-fungal contact and adhesion are likely to be important early events in the process of the formation of mixed bacterial-fungal biofilms. Microorganisms occupying such structures typically show enhanced resistance to antibiotic therapies; for example, the presence of C. albicans has been shown to significantly enhance Staphylococcus aureus biofilm formation and its resistance to vancomycin in serum. Mixed bacterial-fungal biofilms have also been reported in other contexts, such as mycorrhizal root systems and rice wine production, and are implicated in the degradation of historic artifacts such as mural paintings. There are many bacterial-fungal molecular interaction and communication which are interactions via antibiosis; signaling-based interactions;  interaction via modulation of the physiochemical environments; interactions via chemotaxis and cellular contacts; trophic interactions; interactions via cooperative metabolism; interactions via protein secretion and gene transfer. Then, there are also consequences of bacterial-fungal interactions for participating organisms which are effects on fungal development; effects on fungal pathogenicity; effects on bacterial and fungal physiology; effects on survival, dispersal and colonization ; evidence for heritable changes; complexity of life cycle. In applications of bacterial-fungal interactions there is fermentation and brewing process. The complex interactions between filamentous fungi, yeast, and bacteria that lead to wine production begin in the vineyard, on the surfaces of ripening grape berries. . The biotransformation of pressed grape juice into wine results from a primary alcoholic fermentation performed by Saccharomyces cerevisiae that is frequently followed by a secondary so-called “malolactic fermentation.” A variety of other food products are formed due to the actions of mixed bacterial-fungal cultures. The fermented soy product tempeh is produced by the action of Rhizopus oligosporus, which inhibits contamination by other microorganisms, including many bacteria. Lactic acid bacteria also contribute to the tempeh fermentation process and can similarly inhibit the growth of potentially harmful pathogenic bacteria. Besides that, cheese ripening and food spoilage are also example of applications of bacterial-fungal interactions. The study of BFIs has led to the discovery of a great number of natural products and tools to transform fungi, but there is currently a dearth of data pertaining to non-antibiotic-mediated cell-cell communication between fungi and bacteria at the molecular level.

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