Mitochondria and the regulation of hypervirulence in the fatal fungal outbreak on Vancouver Island.

In our recent paper, we demonstrated that the hypervirulence exhibited by a lineage of the fatal fungal pathogen Cryptococcus gattii is associated with its mitochondrial gene expression and an unusual mitochondrial morphology. As an important organelle, the mitochondrion has been linked to various cellular activities, but its role in modulating virulence of pathogens remains unclear. In this addendum, the potential role of mitochondria in determining virulence in eukaryotic pathogens is discussed along with future experiments that may lead to an improved understanding of this topic.