Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Fungal Pathogens

Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Fungal Pathogens.

Owing to their small size and paucity of phenotypic characters, progress in the evolutionary biology of microbes in general, and human pathogenic fungi in particular, has been linked to a series of advances in DNA sequencing over the past quarter century. Phylogenetics was the first area to benefit, with the achievement of a basic understanding of fungal phylogeny. Population genetics was the n...

An evolutionary perspective on zinc uptake by human fungal pathogens.

The mammalian immune system has evolved sophisticated mechanisms to withhold essential micronutrients from invading pathogens. These processes, collectively known as nutritional immunity serve to limit microbial proliferation and bolster killing of the invader. Successful pathogens, therefore, have developed strategies to counteract nutritional immunity and acquire essential micronutrients in t...

A Note on Evolutionary Rate Estimation in Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis: Focus on Pathogens

Bayesian evolutionary analysis provide a statistically sound and flexible framework for estimation of evolutionary parameters. In this method, posterior estimates of evolutionary rate (μ) are derived by combining evolutionary information in the data with researcher’s prior knowledge about the true value of μ. Nucleotide sequence samples of fast evolving pathogens that are taken at d...

Evolutionary Perspectives on Human Diet and Nutrition

O n October 13 and 14, 2009, 16 scholars from a variety of different disciplines took part in a workshop in Berlin to discuss evolutionary dimensions of human nutrition. The workshop was one of five related to the overall theme of ‘‘Evolution and Diseases of Civilization’’ organized by Randolph Nesse (Michigan) and sponsored by the Volkswagen Stiftung and the Brandenberg Academy of Arts and Sci...

Molecular Identification of Human Fungal Pathogens