Fungi: Biology and Applicationsis a comprehensive, balanced introduction of the biology, biotechnological applications and medical significance of fungi. With no prior knowledge of the subject assumed, the opening chapters offer a broad overview of the basics of fungal biology, in particular the physiology and genetics of fungi. Later chapters move on to include more detailed coverage of topics such as proteomics, bioinformatics, heterologous protein expression, medical mycology, anti-fungal drug development and function, fungal biotechnology and fungal pathogens of economically important plants.

Carefully structured, each chapter contains self-assessment exercises with answers included at the end of the book to enhance student understanding.

• A comprehensive treatment of the medical and economic importance of fungi to everyday life
• Chapters include revision sections and problems to reinforce key concepts
• Invaluable for undergraduates taking a first course on fungal biology or mycology.
• also of interest to those working within the field looking for an up-to-date introduction.

* also of interest to those working within the field looking for an up-to-date introduction.

The subject of mycology has been relatively poorly catered for especially in terms of undergraduate texts. Most microbiology texts give scant coverage to the fungi. The subject is growing both in terms of research and teaching activity (particularly in the medical areas) and yet there is no recent, suitable book. There is a need for a modern text that incorporates fungal cell biology, molecular genetics, medical mycology and fungal biotechnology within one book. Fungi will meet this need and will fit extremely well with other Wiley microbiology texts, relevant journals (Yeast) and compliment books in medical microbiology, biotechnology and genomics.

List of Contributors.

Preface.

1. Introduction to Fungal Physiology (Graeme M. Walker and Nia A. White).

1.1 Introduction.

1.2 Morphology of yeasts and fungi.

1.3 Ultrastructure and function of fungal cells.

1.4 Fungal nutrition and cellular biosyntheses.

1.5 Fungal metabolism.

1.6 Fungal growth and reproduction.

1.7 Conclusions.

1.8 Further reading.

1.9 Revision questions.

2. Fungal Genetics (Malcolm Whiteway and Catherine Bachewich).

2.1 Introduction.

2.2 Life cycles.

2.3 Sexual analysis: Regulation of mating.

2.4 Unique characteristics of filamentous fungi that are advantageous for genetic analysis.

2.5 Genetics as a tool.

2.6 Conclusions.

2.7 Further reading.

2.8 Revision questions.

3. Fungal Genetics: A Post-Genomic Perspective (Brendan Curran and Virginia Bugeja).

3.1 Introduction.

3.2 Genomics.

3.3 Transcriptomics and proteomics.

3.4 Proteomics.

3.5 Systems biology.

3.6 Conclusions.

3.7 Further reading.

3.8 Revision questions.

4. Fungal Fermentation Systems and Products (Kevin Kavanagh).

4.1 Introduction.

4.2 Fungal fermentation systems.

4.3 Ethanol production.

4.4 Commercial fungal products.

4.5 Genetic manipulation of fungi.

4.6 Conclusion.

4.7 Further reading.

4.8 Revision questions.

5. Antibiotics, Enzymes and Chemical Commodities from Fungi (Richard A. Murphy and Karina A. Horgan).

5.1 Introduction.

5.2 Fungal metabolism.

5.3 Antibiotic production.

5.4 Pharmacologically active products.

5.5 Enzymes.

5.6 Chemical commodities.

5.7 Yeast extracts.

5.8 Enriched yeast.

5.9 Further reading.

5.10 Revision questions.

6. The Biotechnological Exploitation of Heterologous Protein Production in Fungi (Brendan Curran and Virginia Bugeja).

6.1 Fungal biotechnology.

6.2 Heterologous protein expression in fungi.

6.3 Budding stars.

6.4 Methylotrophic yeast species.

6.5 Case study - hepatitis B vaccine - a billion dollar heterologous protein from yeast.

6.6 Further biotechnological applications of expression technology.

6.7 Conclusion.

6.8 Further reading.

6.9 Revision questions.

7. Fungal Diseases of Humans (Derek Sullivan, Gary Moran and David Coleman).

7.1 Introduction.

7.2 Fungal diseases.

7.3 Superficial mycoses.

7.4 Opportunistic mycoses.

7.5 Endemic systemic mycoses.

7.6 Concluding remarks.

7.7 Further reading.

7.8 Revision questions.

8. Antifungal Agents for Use in Human Therapy (Khaled H. Abu-Elteen and Mawieh Hamad).

8.1 Introduction.

8.2 Polyene antifungal agents.

8.3 The azole antifungal agents.

8.4 Flucytosine.

8.5 Novel antifungal agents.

8.6 Miscellaneous antifungal agents.

8.7 New strategies and future prospects.

8.8 Conclusion.

8.9 Further reading.

8.10 Revision questions.

9. Fungal Pathogens of Plants (Fiona Doohan).

9.1 Fungal pathogens of plants.

9.2 Disease symptoms.

9.3 Factors influencing disease development.

9.4 The disease cycle.

9.5 Genetics of the plant-fungal pathogen interaction.

9.6 Mechanisms of fungal plant parasitism.

9.7 Mechanisms of host defence.

9.8 Disease control.

9.9 Disease detection and diagnosis.

9.10 Vascular wilt diseases.

9.11 Blights.

9.12 Rots and damping-off diseases.

9.13 Leaf and stem spots, anthracnose and scabs.

9.14 Rusts, smuts and powdery mildew diseases.

9.15 Global repercussions of fungal diseases of plants.

9.16 Conclusion.

9.17 Acknowledgements.

9.18 Further reading.

9.19 Revision questions.

Answers to Revision Questions.

Chapter 1.

Chapter 2.

Chapter 3.

Chapter 4.

Chapter 5.

Chapter 6.

Chapter 7.

Chapter 8.

Chapter 9.

Index.