Human activity, not environmental factors, drives Scedosporium and Lomentospora distribution in Taiwan.

Scedosporium and Lomentospora species are emerging fungal pathogens capable of causing severe infections in both immunocompetent and immunocompromised individuals. Previous environmental surveys have suggested potential associations between these fungi and various soil chemical parameters, though the relative influence of human activity versus environmental factors has not been systematically evaluated. Here, we conducted a comprehensive survey of 406 soil samples from 132 locations across Taiwan, analyzing fungal abundance alongside soil physicochemical parameters and the Human Footprint Index (HFI).

Genome diversification of symbiotic fungi in beetle-fungus mutualistic symbioses.

Ambrosia beetles and their fungal symbionts represent a widespread and diverse insect-fungus mutualism. This study investigates the genomic adaptations associated with the evolution of the ambrosia lifestyle across multiple fungal lineages. We performed comparative genomic analyses on 70 fungal genomes from four families (Irpicaceae, Ceratocystidaceae, Nectriaceae, and Ophiostomataceae), including 24 ambrosia and 34 non-ambrosia lineages.