Heteroresistance and fungi

GF Ferreira, DA Santos - Mycoses, 2017 - Wiley Online Library
GF Ferreira, DA Santos
Mycoses, 2017Wiley Online Library
The concept of heteroresistance refers to the heterogeneous susceptibility to an
antimicrobial drug in a microorganism population, meaning that some clones may be
resistant and others are susceptible. This phenomenon has been widely studied in bacteria,
but little attention has been given to its expression in fungi. We review the available literature
on heteroresistance in fungi and invite the reader to recognise this phenomenon as a fungal
mechanism to adapt to environmental stress, which may interfere both in resistance and …
Summary
The concept of heteroresistance refers to the heterogeneous susceptibility to an antimicrobial drug in a microorganism population, meaning that some clones may be resistant and others are susceptible. This phenomenon has been widely studied in bacteria, but little attention has been given to its expression in fungi. We review the available literature on heteroresistance in fungi and invite the reader to recognise this phenomenon as a fungal mechanism to adapt to environmental stress, which may interfere both in resistance and virulence. Finally, heteroresistance may explain the treatment failures to eradicate mycosis in some patients treated with a seemingly appropriate antifungal.
Wiley Online Library