HBO's The Last of Us Season 2 hints at a more ominous world molded by lethal fungal zombies
Fungi, the diverse and often unnoticed organisms that decompose dead plants and animals, are becoming a growing concern due to their evolving responses to climate change. A review article published in the prestigious journal Nature highlights these real-world interactions between fungi and humans.
According to the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada, climate change could accelerate the spread of harmful fungi. Fungi have adapted to changing climate conditions by evolving traits related to spore survival, environmental tolerance, and pathogenicity. These adaptations have significant implications for human health, increasing the risks of fungal diseases.
Soil fungi, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, have shown changes in spore traits like volume, cell wall thickness, and ornamentation. These alterations affect their survival and dispersal under drought and temperature shifts, influencing plant-fungal symbiosis, ecosystem carbon cycling, and agricultural productivity.
Plant pathogenic fungi, like Botrytis cinerea, have evolved increased fungicide resistance and altered pathogenic aggressiveness since the 1940s. This evolution is likely driven by agricultural practices intensified by climate change and human activity. Modern strains are more specialized and aggressive compared to historical ones, indicating evolutionary changes in response to environmental pressures.
Human-pathogenic fungi face unique physiological challenges when infecting mammals, notably the need to tolerate higher body temperatures and elevated CO2 concentrations. Some pathogens like Cryptococcus neoformans, which can cause meningitis in humans, have evolved increasing tolerance to host CO2 levels and other virulence traits, enhancing their ability to cause disease.
The emergence of fungal strains with enhanced virulence and fungicide resistance threatens crop security and human health by complicating disease control. Increasing environmental tolerance and adaptation to host conditions by fungi could lead to more frequent and severe fungal infections in humans, requiring new antifungal targets such as fungal-specific proteins for therapy development.
Changes in fungal communities and traits driven by climate may impact ecosystem function and food production, indirectly influencing human well-being and health through ecological disruption. A new fungus, Rhodosporidibolus fluvialis, has been identified in human infections, while warming temperatures may facilitate the rise of dangerous fungi like Coccidioides (which causes valley fever) and Candida auris (a drug-resistant pathogen affecting hospitalized patients).
The potential for fungal diseases to change in response to the effects of climate change is a stark reminder of the interconnectedness of our world. As we witness the mutated cordyceps fungus turning humans into zombies in the post-apocalyptic world of 'The Last of Us', researchers warn of the real-life implications of these evolving organisms. The new season of 'The Last of Us' could offer a glimpse into the future as we grapple with the potential for fungal diseases to pose escalating challenges for agriculture and human health.
- Innovation in the field of science is crucial as we face the escalating challenges posed by evolving fungal diseases, such as the development of antifungal therapies targeting fungal-specific proteins.
- Climate change not only affects the diversity and distribution of fungi but also promotes their adaptation and evolution, as seen in the emergence of new fungal pathogens like Rhodosporidibolus fluvialis and the increased prevalence of Coccidioides and Candida auris.
- The entertainment industry, including movies and TV shows, can play a role in raising awareness about the real-world implications of evolving fungal organisms, as portrayed in series like 'The Last of Us', which depicts a post-apocalyptic world overrun by mutated fungi.
