The Importance of Fungi to Man

Completion of the Saccharomyces cerivisiae genome sequence and that of several bacterial genomes has led to a great rallying around the cause for sequencing of other small genomes. This has been most apparent in bacteria where sequencing projects are either complete or under way for no fewer than 38 different species. In contrast, the sequencing of small eukaryotic genomes lags far behind. The only large-scale public sequencing efforts currently under way in microbial eukaryotes are for the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe and for the protozoan parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Completion of these genomes is sure to yield greater insights into the general functions required for eukaryotic life and will permit researchers to address a number of fundamental questions. However, even coupled with the genome sequences from humans and other animals, the genome sequences from this small number of eukaryotes will not be sufficient to describe life with a nucleus.

The primary purpose of this article is to point out the merits of sequencing the genomes of additional microbial eukaryotes, in particular the genetically amenable filamentous fungi. There are an estimated >1 million filamentous fungal species and some members of this diverse group of organisms can be found in virtually every ecosystem. These organisms conduct a variety of processes not seen in yeast, many of which have significant impacts on man (Table1). For instance, some filamentous fungi are important pathogens of plants and animals. Others are major producers of materials used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. In addition to the well-known and appreciated role of yeasts in bread, beer, and wine production, filamentous fungi are used in producing citric acid and other food additives as well as serving man in the mixed fermentation processes leading to soy sauce and other Asian foods. Finally, macro-fungi, or mushrooms, are eaten throughout the …