Cell biology in phytopathogenic fungi during host infection: commonalities and differences

During infection of the host plant, various biological processes facilitate host invasion, including the physical invasion of the host, and subsequent adaptation to the host’s internal environment. During these processes, cellular biological changes result in host adhesion, morphogenetic differentiation via the sensing of plant-derived signals, and maturation of infection structures via reorientation of the cytoskeleton. Changes in lipid and sugar metabolism in fungi generate energy for survival, turgor pressure, and melanin synthesis. Moreover, phytopathogenic fungi produce numerous types of effectors used in the evasion of host defense systems and to establish a suitable environment for nutrient exploitation. However, infection systems seem to vary between fungal species because of differences in their evolutionary origin.