Read the passage below. Use the information in the passage and your own knowledge to answer the questions that follow.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the rapid rise of multidrug-resistant fungal pathogens, such as Candida auris, has renewed interest in mycoviruses—viruses that infect and destroy specific fungal species. Mycovirus therapy involves using these natural viral predators to treat severe fungal infections.
Mycovirus therapy is highly specific; a particular mycovirus will only target a specific strain or species of fungus, leaving beneficial host microflora unharmed. However, fungi can develop resistance to mycoviruses. One mechanism of resistance involves the mutation of fungal surface receptors (such as glycoproteins in the cell wall), preventing the virus from binding. Another mechanism is the fungal RNA interference (RNAi) pathway, which recognizes and degrades viral genetic material.
When mycoviruses bind to a fungus, they inject their genetic material, which redirects the host's cellular machinery to replicate. Eventually, the mycoviruses produce enzymes that digest the fungal cell wall from within, causing the cell to lyse (burst) and release new viral particles to find more fungal hosts.
State what is meant by the term pathogen.
Name the eukaryotic kingdom to which Candida auris belongs.
Suggest why mycovirus preparations used in patients must be purified to remove fungal toxins (mycotoxins) and host cell debris.
Based on the passage, why is mycovirus therapy preferred over broad-spectrum antifungal drugs to treat infections?
Suggest the name of a digestive enzyme that breaks down the carbohydrate polymer found in fungal cell walls.
Describe how the body's white blood cells, specifically phagocytes, destroy fungal pathogens.
Use your knowledge of natural selection to explain how a population of fungi can become resistant to mycoviruses.
