Candida albicans
Host Response and InflammationStepping Up to the Plate(let) against Candida albicansCandida albicans is a pervasive commensal fungus that is the most common pathogen responsible for invasive fungal infection (IFI). With incidence of IFI on the rise due to increasing susceptible populations, it is imperative that we investigate how Candida albicans interacts with blood components....
Fungal and Parasitic InfectionsPathways That Synthesize Phosphatidylethanolamine Impact Candida albicans Hyphal Length and Cell Wall Composition through Transcriptional and Posttranscriptional Mechanisms...Candida albicans is a leading cause of systemic bloodstream infections, and synthesis of the phospholipid phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) is required for virulence. The psd1Δ/Δ psd2Δ/Δ mutant, which cannot synthesize PE by the cytidine diphosphate diacylglycerol (CDP-DAG) pathway, is avirulent in the mouse model of systemic candidiasis.
Fungal and Parasitic InfectionsDigital Design of a Universal Rat Intraoral Device for Therapeutic Evaluation of a Topical Formulation against Candida-Associated Denture StomatitisCandida-associated denture stomatitis (DS) is a persistent and chronic oral infection of the denture-bearing palatal mucosa. DS stems from the ability of the fungal opportunistic pathogen Candida albicans to adhere to denture material and invade palatal tissue. Although DS is the most prevalent form of oral candidiasis, there are currently no feasible...
Host-Associated Microbial CommunitiesThe Host Immune System Facilitates Disseminated Staphylococcus aureus Disease Due to Phagocytic Attraction to Candida albicans during Coinfection: a Case of Bait and SwitchInvasive Staphylococcus aureus infections account for 15 to 50% of fatal bloodstream infections annually. These disseminated infections often arise without a defined portal of entry into the host but cause high rates of mortality. The fungus Candida albicans and the Gram-positive bacterium...
Host-Associated Microbial CommunitiesMulti-omics Analyses Reveal Synergistic Carbohydrate Metabolism in Streptococcus mutans-Candida albicans Mixed-Species BiofilmsCandida albicans, a major opportunistic fungal pathogen, is frequently found together with Streptococcus mutans in dental biofilms associated with severe childhood caries (tooth decay), a prevalent pediatric oral disease. However, the impact of this cross-kingdom relationship on...
Host Response and InflammationDietary Chitin Particles Called Mimetic Fungi Ameliorate Colitis in Toll-Like Receptor 2/CD14- and Sex-Dependent MannersChitin is a natural N-acetylglucosamine polymer and a major structural component of fungal cell walls. Dietary chitin is mucoadhesive; anti-inflammatory effects of chitin microparticles (CMPs; 1- to 10-μm diameters) have been demonstrated in models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Cellular Microbiology: Pathogen-Host Cell Molecular InteractionsCandida albicans Ras1 Inactivation Increases Resistance to Phagosomal Killing by Human NeutrophilsHost phagocytic cells are crucial players in initial defense against Candida albicans infection. C. albicans utilizes MAP kinases and Ras1 stress response signaling pathways to protect itself from killing by immune cells.
Fungal and Parasitic Infections | SpotlightTamm-Horsfall Protein Protects the Urinary Tract against Candida albicansUrinary tract infections (UTIs) caused by the human fungal pathogen Candida albicans and related species are prevalent in hospitalized patients, especially those on antibiotic therapy, with indwelling catheters, or with predisposing conditions such as diabetes or immunodeficiency. Understanding of key host defenses against Candida UTI is critical for...
Fungal and Parasitic Infections | SpotlightYeast and Filaments Have Specialized, Independent Activities in a Zebrafish Model of Candida albicans InfectionCandida albicans dimorphism is a crucial virulence factor during invasive candidiasis infections, which claim the lives of nearly one-half of those afflicted. It has long been believed that filaments drive tissue invasion and yeast mediates bloodstream dissemination, but observation of these activities during infection has been prevented by technical limitations....
- Fungal and Parasitic Infections | SpotlightCandida albicans Cannot Acquire Sufficient Ethanolamine from the Host To Support Virulence in the Absence of De Novo Phosphatidylethanolamine Synthesis
Candida albicans mutants for phosphatidylserine (PS) synthase (cho1ΔΔ) and PS decarboxylase (psd1ΔΔ psd2ΔΔ) are compromised for virulence in mouse models of systemic infection and oropharyngeal candidiasis (OPC). Both of these enzymes are necessary to synthesize phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) by the de novo pathway, but these mutants...