Toenail fungus gives up sex to infect human hosts

(Duke University) The fungus that causes athlete's foot and other skin and toenail infections may have lost its ability to sexually reproduce as it adapted to grow on human hosts. The discovery that this species may be asexual -- and therefore nearly identical at the genetic level -- uncovers potential vulnerabilities that researchers could exploit in designing better antifungal medications. The findings appear online in Genetics.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news