Iron acquisition strategies of the rock-inhabiting fungus <i>Knufia petricola</i> reveal vulnerability to chelator-based mitigation
Journal: bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Year: 2025

Abstract Fungal iron acquisition has mostly been studied for pathogens living in competitive environments where securing iron from the host is critical for proliferation. How fungi from stress-rich but competition-free material surfaces handle iron uptake is, however, unknown. We studied these processes in rock-inhabiting fungi, known for their constitutive melanin-production, extremotolerant lifestyle and colonization of exposed surfaces such as solar panels and marble monuments, by choosing Kn