Candida albicans
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyDihydrofolate Reductase Is a Valid Target for Antifungal Development in the Human Pathogen Candida albicansThe folate biosynthetic pathway is a promising and understudied source for novel antifungals. Even dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR), a well-characterized and historically important drug target, has not been conclusively validated as an antifungal target. Here, we demonstrate that repression of DHFR inhibits growth of Candida albicans, a major human fungal pathogen....
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyHost-Induced Genome Instability Rapidly Generates Phenotypic Variation across Candida albicans Strains and Ploidy StatesCandida albicans is an opportunistic fungal pathogen of humans. The ability to generate genetic variation is essential for adaptation and is a strategy that C. albicans and other fungal pathogens use to change their genome size. Stressful environments, including the host, induce...
Editor's Pick Observation | Therapeutics and PreventionOxadiazole-Containing Macrocyclic Peptides Potentiate Azole Activity against Pathogenic Candida SpeciesFungal infections, such as those caused by pathogenic Candida species, pose a serious threat to human health. Treating these infections relies heavily on the use of azole antifungals; however, resistance to these drugs develops readily, demanding novel therapeutic strategies. This study characterized the antifungal activity of a series of molecules that possess unique chemical attributes and the ability to traverse cellular...
Editor's Pick Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyMetabolic Reprogramming in the Opportunistic Yeast Candida albicans in Response to HypoxiaA critical aspect of cell fitness is the ability to sense and adapt to variations in oxygen levels in their local environment. Candida albicans is an opportunistic yeast that is the most prevalent human fungal pathogen. While hypoxia is the predominant condition that C. albicans encounters in most...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyNucleotide Excision Repair Protein Rad23 Regulates Cell Virulence Independent of Rad4 in Candida albicansCandida albicans remains a significant threat to the lives of immunocompromised people. An understanding of the virulence and infection ability of C. albicans cells in the mammalian host may help with clinical treatment and drug discovery. The DNA damage response pathway is closely related to...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyEFG1 Mutations, Phenotypic Switching, and Colonization by Clinical a/α Strains of Candida albicansClose to half of a collection of 27 clinical a/α isolates of Candida albicans underwent white-to-opaque switching. Complementation experiments revealed that while approximately half of the a/α switchers were due to EFG1 mutations, the remaining half were due to mutations in other genes. In addition, the results of competition...
Research Article | Host-Microbe BiologyLinking Sfl1 Regulation of Hyphal Development to Stress Response Kinases in Candida albicansCandida albicans is a commensal as well as a pathogen of humans. C. albicans is able to mount a cellular response to a diverse range of external stimuli in the host and switch reversibly between the yeast and hyphal growth forms. Hyphal development is a key virulence determinant. Here, we studied...
Commentary | Host-Microbe BiologymSphere of Influence: Decoding Transcriptional Regulatory Networks To Illuminate the Mechanisms of Microbial PathogenicitySadri Znaidi works in the field of molecular mycology with a focus on functional genomics in Candida albicans. In this mSphere of Influence article, he reflects on how the paper “An iron homeostasis regulatory circuit with reciprocal roles in Candida albicans commensalism and pathogenesis” by Chen...
Research Article | Therapeutics and PreventionNanoemulsion as an Effective Treatment against Human-Pathogenic FungiAdvances in medicine have resulted in the discovery and implementation of treatments for human disease. While these recent advances have been beneficial, procedures such as solid-organ transplants and cancer treatments have left many patients in an immunocompromised state. Furthermore, the emergence of immunocompromising diseases such as HIV/AIDS or other immunosuppressive medical conditions have opened an opportunity for fungal...
Research Article | Molecular Biology and PhysiologyKinesin-5 Is Dispensable for Bipolar Spindle Formation and Elongation in Candida albicans, but Simultaneous Loss of Kinesin-14 Activity Is LethalCandida albicans is one of the most prevalent fungal pathogens of humans and can infect a broad range of niches within its host. This organism frequently acquires resistance to antifungal agents through rapid generation of genetic diversity, with aneuploidy serving as a particularly important adaptive mechanism. This paper describes an investigation of the sole...