Melanins are ancient biological pigments found in all kingdoms of life. In fungi, their role in microbial pathogenesis is well established; however, these complex biomolecules also confer upon fungal microorganisms the faculty to tolerate extreme environments such as the Earth's poles, the International Space Station and places contaminated by toxic metals and ionizing radiation. A remarkable property of melanin is its capacity to interact with a wide range of electromagnetic radiation frequencies, functioning as a protecting and energy harvesting pigment. Other roles of fungal melanin include scavenging of free radical, thermo-tolerance, metal ion sequestration, cell development, and mechanical-chemical cellular strength. In this review, we explore the various functions ascribed to this biological pigment in fungi and its remarkable physicochemical properties.

黑色素是在所有生命王国中发现的古老生物色素。在真菌中，它们在微生物发病机制中的作用已得到充分证实。然而，这些复杂的生物分子也赋予真菌微生物耐受极端环境的能力，例如地球两极、国际空间站以及被有毒金属和电离辐射污染的地方。黑色素的一个显着特性是它能够与各种电磁辐射频率相互作用，起到保护和能量收集色素的作用。真菌黑色素的其他作用包括清除自由基、耐热性、金属离子螯合、细胞发育和机械化学细胞强度。在这篇综述中，我们探讨了这种生物色素在真菌中的各种功能及其显着的理化特性。