Advances in Biological Characteristics of Gut Anaerobic Fungi in Herbivores

Anaerobic fungi play an essential role in feed degradation due to their invasive growth and potent fiber degrading enzymes system. Much has been learned about this unique fungal phylum since they were firstly accurately characterized and described in the 1970s. A detailed understanding of biological characteristics of anaerobic fungi is essential for their biotechnological exploitation, and for our understanding of the role they play in the gut microecosystem, host health and production performance. In this review, the life cycle, enzymatic characteristics and metabolic characteristics of anaerobic fungi were summarized, aiming to provide any support and reference for the related research work.