The ability to cause disease extends from the ability to grow within the host environment. The human host provides a dynamic environment to which fungal pathogens must adapt to in order to survive. The ability to grow under a particular condition (i.e., the ability to grow at mammalian body temperature) is considered a fitness attribute and is essential for growth within the human host. On the other hand, some environmental conditions activate signaling mechanisms resulting in the expression of virulence factors, which aid pathogenicity. Therefore, pathogenic fungi have evolved fitness and virulence attributes to enable them to colonize and infect humans. This review highlights how some of the major pathogenic fungi respond and adapt to key environmental signals within the human host.

引起疾病的能力源于在宿主环境中生长的能力。人类宿主提供了真菌病原体必须适应才能生存的动态环境。在特定条件下的生长能力（即在哺乳动物体温下生长的能力）被认为是适合的属性，对于人类宿主内的生长至关重要。另一方面，某些环境条件会激活信号传导机制，导致表达致病性的毒力因子。因此，致病真菌已经进化出适应性和毒力属性，以使其能够定殖并感染人类。这篇综述着重介绍了一些主要的致病真菌如何对人类宿主内的关键环境信号做出反应并做出适应。