Abstract:Candida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen that is found in the normal gastrointestinal flora of most healthy humans. However, under certain environmental conditions, it can become a life-threatening pathogen. The shift from commensal organism to pathogen is often correlated with the capacity to undergo morphogenesis. Indeed, under certain conditions, including growth at ambient temperature, the presence of serum or N-acetylglucosamine, neutral pH, and nutrient starvation, C. albicans can undergo reversible transitions from the yeast form to the mycelial form. This morphological plasticity reflects the interplay of various signal transduction pathways, either stimulating or repressing hyphal formation. In this review, we provide an overview of the different sensing and signaling pathways involved in the morphogenesis and pathogenesis of C. albicans. Where appropriate, we compare the analogous pathways/genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae in an attempt to highlight the evolution of the different components of the two organisms. The downstream components of these pathways, some of which may be interesting antifungal targets, are also discussed.

Status: Published Type: Journal article PubMed ID: 17554048

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Jump to Summary Chart for:

#1-10(ALS1-CPH2) #11-20(CPP1-FKH2) #21-30(FLO8-HST7) #31-40(HWP1-PLB1) #41-50(PLD1-RIM8) #51-59(RSR1-TUP1)

• To find other papers on a gene and topic, click on the colored ball in the appropriate box.
  displays other papers with information about that topic for that gene.
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  The topic is addressed in these papers but does not describe a specific gene or chromosomal feature.


• To go to the Locus page for a gene, click on the gene name.