Effect of bacterial symbiosis on filamentous fungal adaption to environmental stressors

Fungal-bacterial co-existence significantly influences the pathogenicity of challenging microbial infections. Traditional diagnostic methods typically focus on identifying a single pathogen, often overlooking fungi, particularly in resource-limited settings. This study investigates the interactions between fungi and their bacterial endosymbionts in infection contexts. A total of 152 fungal isolates (103 clinical and 49 environmental) were screened for bacterial endosymbionts via targeted Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the 16S rDNA gene. Only 8 (5.3%) of the isolates were found to possess bacterial symbionts, with 5 (3.3%) being clinical and 3 (2.0%) environmental. The study further examined how these fungi responded to environmental stressors such as elevated carbon dioxide, heat, pH, and antimicrobial exposure. Fungi containing the 16S gene demonstrated enhanced growth and better adaptation to these stressors compared to strains lacking bacterial symbionts or those treated with ciprofloxacin. The findings highlight the complex dynamics of fungal-bacterial symbiosis and suggest potential avenues for improving clinical management of fungal-bacterial co-infections, emphasizing the need for further exploration of these interactions in infection niches.