Understanding the biology of mucormycosis using contemporary omics tools: a review

Mucormycosis (the "black fungus infection") is a life-threatening angioinvasive fungal infection caused by opportunistic fungi of the class Mucormycetes. A lot of clinical exercises were made in the post-coronavirus disease 2019 period due to admission of patients suffering from so called "black fungus disease". Many of patients had been operated for excision of their vital organs, colonized with massive fungal mycelia to restrict further invasion. In these circumstances, this apt article endeavour to scrutinize and debate some of the viable factors and prospective mechanisms that can assist to understand and elucidate the enigma of sudden, steep and deadly upsurge of mucormycosis infection. Here we review the specific contribution of high-throughput next-generation sequencing and multi-omics-based approaches to the general knowledge and understanding of Mucormycetes and further detail about the most exciting discoveries pertaining to the recently identified genetic advancements in Mucormycetes and mucormycosis. Through the use of a few genetic study models virulence factors in Mucormycetes that were previously unknown have been identified. Most remarkably, new research has opened up new possibilities for developing novel treatments against mucormycosis by identifying novel genes and process governing the pathogenic potential of Mucormycetes and their interaction with host. Ultimately virulence investigations in Mucormycetes that were previously hindered are now possible with new study models indicating a promising future for the field leading to the development of therapies to treat mucormycosis.