We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Plastiphily is linked to generic virulence traits of important human pathogenic fungi
Summary
A study of soil near human dwellings found that microplastics selectively attract and concentrate dangerous fungal pathogens, including species that cause serious human infections. The microplastic surfaces essentially act as tiny habitats where disease-causing fungi accumulate and may develop enhanced survival traits. This suggests that the trillions of microplastic particles in soil could be amplifying the spread of fungal infections, adding a new dimension to microplastic health risks.
Abstract Fungi comprise relevant human pathogens, causing over a billion infections each year. Plastic pollution alters niches of fungi by providing trillions of artificial microhabitats, mostly in the form of microplastics, where pathogens might accumulate, thrive, and evolve. However, interactions between fungi and microplastics in nature are largely unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, we investigated the assembly, architecture, and ecology of mycobiomes in soil (micro)plastispheres near human dwellings in a model- and network-based metagenome study combined with a global-scale trait data annotation. Our results reveal a strong selection of important human pathogens, in an idiosyncratic, otherwise predominantly neutrally assembled plastisphere, which is strongly linked to generic fungal virulence traits. These findings substantiate our niche expansion postulate, demonstrate the emergence of plastiphily among fungal pathogens and imply the existence of a plastisphere virulence school, underpinning the need to declare microplastics as a factor of global health.