The ubiquitin system and morphogenesis of fungal pathogens.

Distinct fungal species exhibit different cellular morphologies, such as yeast and filamentous (hyphal and pseudohyphal) forms, that are reflected in the macroscopic colony morphology. Dimorphic and multimorphic fungi can switch between these different morphologies, enabling the utilization of different food supplies in the case of saprophytes, and contributing to pathogenesis in the case of parasites. Cellular morphogenesis is often regulated by signal transduction pathways, and is intimately linked to the cell cycle machinery. Here we describe the role of ubiquitin-mediated degradation of cell cycle regulators and transcription factors involved in fungal morphogenesis.