Fig 1.
The conceptual difference between antifungal resistance and antifungal persistence.
Antifungal resistance arises from genetic mutations in drug resistance-associated genes, leading to a measurable increase in the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) value. In contrast, antifungal persistence typically results from cellular dormancy that enables fungal cells to survive lethal drug concentrations without a change in MIC value. The figure was generated in BioRender.
Fig 2.
The mechanisms of antifungal persistence.
Cellular dormancy is a key driver of antifungal persistence, mainly triggered by biofilm formation and environmental stressors (e.g., nutrient starvation). Persisters evade the action of fungicides primarily through reduced availability of drug targets and enhanced antioxidant defenses.