Restricting mycotoxins without killing the producers: a new paradigm in nano-fungal interactions

Over the past several years, numerous studies have demonstrated the feasibility of using engineered nanoparticles as antifungals, especially against those fungal pathogens that produce mycotoxins and infect plants, animals, and humans. The high dosage of nanoparticles has been a concern in such antifungal applications due to the potential toxicological and ecotoxicological impacts. To address such concerns, we have recently introduced the idea of inhibiting mycotoxin biosynthesis using low doses of engineered nanoparticles. At such low doses these particles are minimally toxic to humans and the environment. From our studies we realize that for the effective use of nanotechnology to intervene in the biology of fungal pathogens and for an accurate evaluation of the impacts of the increasingly growing nanomaterials in the environment on fungi and their interacting biotic partners, there is a pressing need for a rigorous understanding of nano-fungal interactions, which is currently far from complete. In this minireview, we build on the available evidence from nano-bio interaction research and our recent interaction studies with Aspergillus cells and engineered silver nanoparticles to introduce a potential theoretical model for nano-fungal interactions. The aim of the proposed model is to provide an initial insight on how nanoparticle uptake and their transformation inside fungal cells, possibly influence the production of mycotoxins and other secondary metabolites of filamentous fungi .