Spore Germination as a Target for Antifungal Therapeutics

Abstract

Spores are required for long-term survival of many organisms, including most fungi. For the majority of fatal human fungal pathogens, spore germination is the key process required to initiate vegetative growth and ultimately cause disease. Because germination is required for pathogenesis, the process could hold fungus-specific targets for new antifungal drug development.