ABSTRACT
Proteins are key multifunctional operators in cells acting as essential structural components, catalysts, and major regulatory elements. This chapter describes how pollution affects the functioning of belowground fungi, from a single species to communities. It also covers fundamentals of environmental pollution with emphasis on mitigation processes mediated by filamentous fungi. A historical perspective of the use and hazards of pentachlorophenol (PCP) – the archetypal man-made halogenated pollutant, is also enclosed. The grounds and major developments of proteomics are comprehensively analyzed, including the toxicoproteomics-led studies in filamentous fungi. These studies have contributed to highlight the widespread remedial potential of Ascomycota and Zygomycota, and to disclose central pathways for the catabolism of aromatics in a model fungus.
