绝大多数引发人体系统感染的致病真菌来自于环境,这些环境来源的真菌往往是条件致病菌,其毒力衍生于它们独特的生境适应策略。新生隐球菌是进化最为成功的环境真菌之一,在自然界中的分布极为广泛。而作为人类致病菌,新生隐球菌能够引发致命的隐球菌病和真菌脑膜炎,据统计全球每年由于隐球菌病死亡的人数超过60万人。近几年的研究表明,新生隐球菌的环境适应策略对其条件致病性至关重要。细胞-细胞交流、细胞形态转换和细胞异质性等重要环境适应行为在协调新生隐球菌的致病性方面都扮演了重要的角色。文章从致病菌-自然栖居环境-人类宿主三方的关系解析了新生隐球菌环境适应策略影响毒力的机制及相关进化动机,并对其潜在的研究前景和临床应用提出了一些思考。
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