Fungal ADP-ribosylation: an emerging signalling pathway in adaptation and virulence
- 1Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology, University of Exeter, Department of Bioscience, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Geoffrey Pope Building, Stocker Road, Exeter, EX4 4QD, U.K.
Abstract
ADP-ribosylation is a posttranslational modification conserved across all domains of life and some viruses. While it is well established as a critical signalling mechanism in humans and is widely exploited as a therapeutic target in cancer, its roles in other kingdoms, particularly Fungi, remain poorly understood. Despite this, recent advances highlight the importance of fungal ADP-ribosylation in the regulation of key cellular maintenance processes such as DNA damage and oxidative stress responses, morphogenesis, growth, and proliferation. Here, we summarise our current understanding of fungal ADP-ribosylation and how it supports stress adaptation and virulence. While many aspects of fungal ADP-ribosylation remain unexplored, emerging discoveries underscore its importance in fungal biology and hint at a great potential for future antifungal therapies.
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BibTeX
@article{gosciniak2026fungal,
title = {{Fungal ADP-ribosylation: an emerging signalling pathway in adaptation and virulence}},
author = {Johanna Mary Martha Gosciniak and Johannes Gregor Matthias Rack},
journal = {Biochemical Society Transactions},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1042/bst20260689},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1042/bst20260689},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Fungal ADP-ribosylation: an emerging signalling pathway in adaptation and virulence
AU - Johanna Mary Martha Gosciniak
AU - Johannes Gregor Matthias Rack
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Biochemical Society Transactions
DO - 10.1042/bst20260689
UR - https://doi.org/10.1042/bst20260689
AB - ADP-ribosylation is a posttranslational modification conserved across all domains of life and some viruses. While it is well established as a critical signalling mechanism in humans and is widely exploited as a therapeutic target in cancer, its roles in other kingdoms, particularly Fungi, remain poorly understood. Despite this, recent advances highlight the importance of fungal ADP-ribosylation in the regulation of key cellular maintenance processes such as DNA damage and oxidative stress responses, morphogenesis, growth, and proliferation. Here, we summarise our current understanding of fungal ADP-ribosylation and how it supports stress adaptation and virulence. While many aspects of fungal ADP-ribosylation remain unexplored, emerging discoveries underscore its importance in fungal biology and hint at a great potential for future antifungal therapies.
SN - 0300-5127
SN - 1470-8752
ER -