Biodiversity, evolution and adaptation of fungi in extreme environments

摘要: Fungi play irreplaceable roles for ecosystem functioning. They may adopt different lifestyles, example saprotrophs, symbionts or parasites: some species are cosmopolitan with a wide distribution and others, thanks to their ecological plasticity, adapt harsh environments precluded most of life forms. In stressing conditions, role is even more crucial the recycling organic matter favoring nutrients uptake. When conditions become really extreme competition low, fungi focus on extremotolerance evolve peculiar competences exploit natural xenobiotic resources in particular constrains imposed by environment. This paper focuses three cases fungal extremes: hydrocarbon-polluted sites, extremely acidic substrates, littoral dunes, aiming give few but significant examples these fascinating organisms habitats valuable biotechnological potentialities abilities they have evolved resp...