Metabolic Versatility of Mucoromycota: From Mechanisms to Applications

Mucoromycota fungi play essential roles in ecosystems and contribute to nutrient cycling. They also have a remarkable metabolic versatility: they grow fast on diverse substrates, adapt to changing environments, and produce enzymes, lipids, organic acids and other high-value compounds. Despite their ecological and biotechnological importance, many aspects of their physiology and metabolism remain poorly understood. Significant gaps persist in our understanding of how these fungi sense and respond to environmental and biological cues, how they regulate nutrient uptake and central metabolism, and how this knowledge can be applied. This limited knowledge hinders the development of metabolic engineering strategies and the identification of effective ways to prevent and control fungal diseases, including mucormycosis.This Research Topic aims to bring together original research articles, methodological studies, and review articles addressing recent advances in the physiology and metabolism of Mucoromycota. By bringing together researchers working across different disciplines, it seeks to advance our understanding of Mucoromycota physiology and metabolism, while inspiring further research on this diverse and increasingly relevant fungal phylum.We welcome contributions covering, but not limited to, the following areas:-Physiological responses to environmental and biological factors, including nutrient availability, abiotic stress (temperature, pH, oxygen, osmotic and oxidative stress), and responses to interaction with other organisms.-Nutrient acquisition and metabolic regulation, including carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus metabolism, energy metabolism, and the signalling pathways that control them.-Primary and secondary metabolism, including the biosynthesis of lipids, carotenoids, organic acids, polysaccharides and other metabolites.-Metabolic engineering and biotechnological applications grounded in metabolic mechanisms, such as enzyme production, biopolymers, fermented foods and the optimisation of metabolite yields.-Functional omics studies (genomic, proteomic, transcriptomic and metabolomic) that explain physiological traits and metabolic pathways, including comparative approaches.-Physiology of virulence-related traits, such as iron uptake, thermotolerance and stress adaptation in species causing mucormycosis, where they rest on metabolic or physiological mechanisms.Purely descriptive studies, taxonomic or phylogenetic work, biogeographical surveys, and clinical studies without a physiological focus are outside the scope of this Research Topic. Topic editors: Hassan Mohamed, Volha Shapaval Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86968/metabolic-versatility-of-mucoromycota-from-mechanisms-to-applications