On the move: endosomes in fungal growth and pathogenicity

Fungi invade substrates, such as host tissues, through hyphal tip growth. This article focuses on the corn smut fungus Ustilago maydis, in which tip growth and pathogenicity involve apical endocytic recycling by early endosomes. These organelles rapidly move bi-directionally along microtubules and this movement is mediated by opposing molecular motors. This motility seems to be essential for extended hyphal growth, possibly because it focuses the endocytic machinery at the hyphal tip and mediates communication between the tip and the sub-apical nucleus.