1
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Kumar D, Kumar A. Molecular Determinants Involved in Candida albicans Biofilm Formation and Regulation. Mol Biotechnol 2024; 66:1640-1659. [PMID: 37410258 DOI: 10.1007/s12033-023-00796-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Candida albicans is known for its pathogenicity, although it lives within the human body as a commensal member. The commensal nature of C. albicans is well controlled and regulated by the host's immune system as they live in the harmonized microenvironment. However, the development of certain unusual microhabitat conditions (change in pH, co-inhabiting microorganisms' population ratio, debilitated host-immune system) pokes this commensal fungus to transform into a pathogen in such a way that it starts to propagate very rapidly and tries to breach the epithelial barrier to enter the host's systemic circulations. In addition, Candida is infamous as a major nosocomial (hospital-acquired infection) agent because it enters the human body through venous catheters or medical prostheses. The hysterical mode of C. albicans growth builds its microcolony or biofilm, which is pathogenic for the host. Biofilms propose additional resistance mechanisms from host immunity or extracellular chemicals to aid their survival. Differential gene expressions and regulations within the biofilms cause altered morphology and metabolism. The genes associated with adhesiveness, hyphal/pseudo-hyphal growth, persister cell transformation, and biofilm formation by C. albicans are controlled by myriads of cell-signaling regulators. These genes' transcription is controlled by different molecular determinants like transcription factors and regulators. Therefore, this review has focused discussion on host-immune-sensing molecular determinants of Candida during biofilm formation, regulatory descriptors (secondary messengers, regulatory RNAs, transcription factors) of Candida involved in biofilm formation that could enable small-molecule drug discovery against these molecular determinants, and lead to disrupt the well-structured Candida biofilms effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dushyant Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, 492010, India
| | - Awanish Kumar
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, 492010, India.
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2
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Nation CS, Stephany-Brassesco I, Kelly BL, Pizarro JC. Transgenic overexpression of heat shock protein (HSP83) enhances protein kinase A activity, disrupts GP63 surface protease expression and alters promastigote morphology in Leishmania amazonensis. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2023; 255:111574. [PMID: 37150327 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2023.111574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania parasites undergo morphological changes during their infectious life cycle, including developmental transitions within the sandfly vector, culminating in metacyclic stages that are pre-adapted for infection. Upon entering vertebrate host phagocytes, Leishmania differentiate into intracellular amastigotes, the form that is ultimately transmitted back to the vector to complete the life cycle. Although environmental conditions that induce these cellular transitions are well-established, molecular mechanisms governing Leishmania morphologic differentiation in response to these cues remain largely uncharacterized. Previous studies indicate a key role for HSP83 in both promastigote metacyclogenesis and amastigote differentiation. To further elucidate HSP83 functions in the Leishmania lifecycle, we examined the biological impact of experimentally elevating HSP83 gene expression in Leishmania. Significantly, HSP83 overexpression was associated with altered metacyclic morphology, increased protein kinase A (PKA) activity and decreased expression of the Leishmania major surface protease, GP63. Corroborating these findings, overexpression of the L. amazonensis PKA catalytic subunit resulted in a largely similar phenotype. Our findings demonstrate for the first time in Leishmania, a functional link between HSP83 and PKA in the control of Leishmania gene expression, replication and morphogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine S Nation
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University,1440 Canal St., Suite 2301, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Isabel Stephany-Brassesco
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido St., New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Ben L Kelly
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1901 Perdido St., New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
| | - Juan C Pizarro
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Tulane University,1440 Canal St., Suite 2301, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
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3
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Neves-da-Rocha J, Santos-Saboya MJ, Lopes MER, Rossi A, Martinez-Rossi NM. Insights and Perspectives on the Role of Proteostasis and Heat Shock Proteins in Fungal Infections. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1878. [PMID: 37630438 PMCID: PMC10456932 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11081878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Fungi are a diverse group of eukaryotic organisms that infect humans, animals, and plants. To successfully colonize their hosts, pathogenic fungi must continuously adapt to the host's unique environment, e.g., changes in temperature, pH, and nutrient availability. Appropriate protein folding, assembly, and degradation are essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis and survival under stressful conditions. Therefore, the regulation of proteostasis is crucial for fungal pathogenesis. The heat shock response (HSR) is one of the most important cellular mechanisms for maintaining proteostasis. It is activated by various stresses and regulates the activity of heat shock proteins (HSPs). As molecular chaperones, HSPs participate in the proteostatic network to control cellular protein levels by affecting their conformation, location, and degradation. In recent years, a growing body of evidence has highlighted the crucial yet understudied role of stress response circuits in fungal infections. This review explores the role of protein homeostasis and HSPs in fungal pathogenicity, including their contributions to virulence and host-pathogen interactions, as well as the concerted effects between HSPs and the main proteostasis circuits in the cell. Furthermore, we discuss perspectives in the field and the potential for targeting the components of these circuits to develop novel antifungal therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Neves-da-Rocha
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (M.J.S.-S.); (M.E.R.L.); (A.R.)
| | | | | | | | - Nilce M. Martinez-Rossi
- Department of Genetics, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto 14049-900, SP, Brazil; (M.J.S.-S.); (M.E.R.L.); (A.R.)
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4
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Villa S, Hamideh M, Weinstock A, Qasim MN, Hazbun TR, Sellam A, Hernday AD, Thangamani S. Transcriptional control of hyphal morphogenesis in Candida albicans. FEMS Yeast Res 2021; 20:5715912. [PMID: 31981355 PMCID: PMC7000152 DOI: 10.1093/femsyr/foaa005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans is a multimorphic commensal organism and opportunistic fungal pathogen in humans. A morphological switch between unicellular budding yeast and multicellular filamentous hyphal growth forms plays a vital role in the virulence of C. albicans, and this transition is regulated in response to a range of environmental cues that are encountered in distinct host niches. Many unique transcription factors contribute to the transcriptional regulatory network that integrates these distinct environmental cues and determines which phenotypic state will be expressed. These hyphal morphogenesis regulators have been extensively investigated, and represent an increasingly important focus of study, due to their central role in controlling a key C. albicans virulence attribute. This review provides a succinct summary of the transcriptional regulatory factors and environmental signals that control hyphal morphogenesis in C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Villa
- Masters in Biomedical Science Program, Midwestern University, 19555 N. 59th Ave. Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Mohammad Hamideh
- Masters in Biomedical Science Program, Midwestern University, 19555 N. 59th Ave. Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Anthony Weinstock
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, 19555 N. 59th Ave. Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Mohammad N Qasim
- Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Tony R Hazbun
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Adnane Sellam
- Department of Microbiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Aaron D Hernday
- Quantitative and Systems Biology Graduate Program, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, 95343, USA.,Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA, 95343, USA
| | - Shankar Thangamani
- Department of Pathology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Midwestern University, 19555 N. 59th Ave. Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
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5
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Rodríguez-Cerdeira C, Martínez-Herrera E, Carnero-Gregorio M, López-Barcenas A, Fabbrocini G, Fida M, El-Samahy M, González-Cespón JL. Pathogenesis and Clinical Relevance of Candida Biofilms in Vulvovaginal Candidiasis. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:544480. [PMID: 33262741 PMCID: PMC7686049 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.544480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of Candida spp. to form biofilms is crucial for its pathogenicity, and thus, it should be considered an important virulence factor in vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) and recurrent VVC (RVVC). Its ability to generate biofilms is multifactorial and is generally believed to depend on the site of infection, species and strain involved, and the microenvironment in which the infection develops. Therefore, both cell surface proteins, such as Hwp1, Als1, and Als2, and the cell wall-related protein, Sun41, play a critical role in the adhesion and virulence of the biofilm. Immunological and pharmacological approaches have identified the NLRP3 inflammasome as a crucial molecular factor contributing to host immunopathology. In this context, we have earlier shown that Candida albicans associated with hyphae-secreted aspartyl proteinases (specifically SAP4-6) contribute to the immunopathology of the disease. Transcriptome profiling has revealed that non-coding transcripts regulate protein synthesis post-transcriptionally, which is important for the growth of Candida spp. Other studies have employed RNA sequencing to identify differences in the 1,245 Candida genes involved in surface and invasive cellular metabolism regulation. In vitro systems allow the simultaneous processing of a large number of samples, making them an ideal screening technique for estimating various physicochemical parameters, testing the activity of antimicrobial agents, and analyzing genes involved in biofilm formation and regulation (in situ) in specific strains. Murine VVC models are used to study C. albicans infection, especially in trials of novel treatments and to understand the cause(s) for resistance to conventional therapeutics. This review on the clinical relevance of Candida biofilms in VVC focuses on important advances in its genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. Moreover, recent experiments on the influence of biofilm formation on VVC or RVVC pathogenesis in laboratory animals have been discussed. A clear elucidation of one of the pathogenesis mechanisms employed by Candida biofilms in vulvovaginal candidiasis and its applications in clinical practice represents the most significant contribution of this manuscript.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Rodríguez-Cerdeira
- Efficiency, Quality, and Costs in Health Services Research Group (EFISALUD), Health Research Institute, SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain.,Department of Dermatology, Hospital do Meixoeiro and University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain.,European Women's Dermatologic and Venereologic Society, Tui, Spain.,Psychodermatology Task Force of the Ibero-Latin American College of Dermatology (CILAD), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Erick Martínez-Herrera
- Psychodermatology Task Force of the Ibero-Latin American College of Dermatology (CILAD), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Unidad de Investigación, Hospital Regional de Alta Especialidad de Ixtapaluca, Ixtapaluca, Mexico
| | - Miguel Carnero-Gregorio
- Efficiency, Quality, and Costs in Health Services Research Group (EFISALUD), Health Research Institute, SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain.,Department of Molecular Diagnosis (Array & NGS Division), Institute of Cellular and Molecular Studies, Lugo, Spain
| | - Adriana López-Barcenas
- European Women's Dermatologic and Venereologic Society, Tui, Spain.,Psychodermatology Task Force of the Ibero-Latin American College of Dermatology (CILAD), Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Section of Mycology, Department of Dermatology, Manuel Gea González hospital, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gabriella Fabbrocini
- European Women's Dermatologic and Venereologic Society, Tui, Spain.,Department of Dermatology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Monika Fida
- European Women's Dermatologic and Venereologic Society, Tui, Spain.,Department of Dermatology, University of Medicine, Tirana, Tirana, Albania
| | - May El-Samahy
- European Women's Dermatologic and Venereologic Society, Tui, Spain.,Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
| | - José Luís González-Cespón
- Efficiency, Quality, and Costs in Health Services Research Group (EFISALUD), Health Research Institute, SERGAS-UVIGO, Vigo, Spain
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6
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Abstract
Candida albicans has remained the main etiological agent of candidiasis, challenges clinicians with high mortality and morbidity. The emergence of resistance to antifungal drugs, toxicity and lower efficacy have all contributed to an urgent need to develop alternative drugs aiming at novel targets in C. albicans. Targeting the production of virulence factors, which are essential processes for infectious agents, represents an attractive substitute for the development of newer anti-infectives. The present review highlights the recent developments made in the understanding of the pathogenicity of C. albicans. Production of hydrolytic enzymes, morphogenesis and biofilm formation, along with their molecular and metabolic regulation in Candida are discussed with regard to the development of novel antipathogenic drugs against candidiasis. Over the last decade, candidiasis has remained a major problematic disease worldwide. In spite of the existence of many antifungal drugs, the treatment of such diseases has still remained unsuccessful due to drug inefficacy. Therefore, there is a need to discover antifungals with different modes of action, such as antipathogenic drugs against Candida albicans. Here, we describe how various types of virulence factors such as proteinase, phospholipase, hemolysin, adhesion, morphogenesis and biofilm formation, could be targeted to develop novel therapeutics. We can inhibit production of these virulence factors by controlling their molecular/metabolic regulation.
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7
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Screening of Candida albicans GRACE library revealed a unique pattern of biofilm formation under repression of the essential gene ILS1. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9187. [PMID: 31235750 PMCID: PMC6591175 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45624-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Candida albicans biofilm formation is governed by a regulatory circuit comprising nine transcription factors which control a network of target genes. However, there are still unknown genes contributing to biofilm features. Thus, the GRACE library was screened to identify genes involved in mature biofilm development. Twenty-nine conditional mutants were selected for a second screening revealing three groups of genes: twenty- two conditional mutants were defective for normal growth and unable to form biofilms; six strains, conditionally defective in genes ARC40, ARC35, ORF19.2438, SKP1, ERG6, and ADE5,7 that are likely essential or involved in general cell processes, grew normally as free-floating cells but produced less biofilm; finally, the conditional strain for a putative essential isoleucyl- tRNA synthetase gene, ILS1, was unable to grow as yeast-phase cells but was capable of producing a tridimensional biofilm structure in spite of reduced metabolic activity. This unique biofilm still relied on the classical biofilm genes, while it differentially induced groups of genes involved in adhesion, protein synthesis, cell wall organization, and protein folding. Although the conditional mutant repressed genes annotated for morphology and homeostasis processes affecting morphology and metabolism, the dynamic cell growth enabled the formation of a complex biofilm community independent of ILS1.
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8
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Cox MB, Johnson JL. Evidence for Hsp90 Co-chaperones in Regulating Hsp90 Function and Promoting Client Protein Folding. Methods Mol Biol 2018; 1709:397-422. [PMID: 29177674 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-7477-1_28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Molecular chaperones are a diverse group of highly conserved proteins that transiently interact with partially folded polypeptide chains during normal cellular processes such as protein translation, translocation, and disassembly of protein complexes. Prior to folding or after denaturation, hydrophobic residues that are normally sequestered within a folded protein are exposed to the aqueous environment and are prone to aggregation or misfolding. Multiple classes of molecular chaperones, such as Hsp70s and Hsp40s, recognize and transiently bind polypeptides with exposed hydrophobic stretches in order to prevent misfolding. Other types of chaperones, such as Hsp90, have more specialized functions in that they appear to interact with only a subset of cellular proteins. This chapter focuses on the role of Hsp90 and partner co-chaperones in promoting the folding and activation of a diverse group of proteins with critical roles in cellular signaling and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc B Cox
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso and the Border Biomedical Research Center, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
| | - Jill L Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences and the Center for Reproductive Biology, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 83844-3051, USA.
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9
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Xie JL, Bohovych I, Wong EOY, Lambert JP, Gingras AC, Khalimonchuk O, Cowen LE, Leach MD. Ydj1 governs fungal morphogenesis and stress response, and facilitates mitochondrial protein import via Mas1 and Mas2. MICROBIAL CELL 2017; 4:342-361. [PMID: 29082232 PMCID: PMC5657825 DOI: 10.15698/mic2017.10.594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Mitochondria underpin metabolism, bioenergetics, signalling, development and cell death in eukaryotes. Most of the ~1,000 yeast mitochondrial proteins are encoded in the nucleus and synthesised as precursors in the cytosol, with mitochondrial import facilitated by molecular chaperones. Here, we focus on the Hsp40 chaperone Ydj1 in the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, finding that it is localised to both the cytosol and outer mitochondrial membrane, and is required for cellular stress responses and for filamentation, a key virulence trait. Mapping the Ydj1 protein interaction network highlighted connections with co-chaperones and regulators of filamentation. Furthermore, the mitochondrial processing peptidases Mas1 and Mas2 were highly enriched for interaction with Ydj1. Additional analysis demonstrated that loss of MAS1, MAS2 or YDJ1 perturbs mitochondrial morphology and function. Deletion of YDJ1 impairs import of Su9, a protein that is cleaved to a mature form by Mas1 and Mas2. Thus, we highlight a novel role for Ydj1 in cellular morphogenesis, stress responses, and mitochondrial import in the fungal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinglin L Xie
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Iryna Bohovych
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Erin O Y Wong
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jean-Philippe Lambert
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Anne-Claude Gingras
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.,Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Sinai Health System, 600 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X5, Canada
| | - Oleh Khalimonchuk
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.,Nebraska Redox Biology Center, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA.,Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE 68198, USA
| | - Leah E Cowen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Michelle D Leach
- Aberdeen Fungal Group, University of Aberdeen, Institute of Medical Sciences, Foresterhill, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK.,Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada
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10
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O'Meara TR, Robbins N, Cowen LE. The Hsp90 Chaperone Network Modulates Candida Virulence Traits. Trends Microbiol 2017; 25:809-819. [PMID: 28549824 DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Hsp90 is a conserved molecular chaperone that facilitates the folding and function of client proteins. Hsp90 function is dynamically regulated by interactions with co-chaperones and by post-translational modifications. In the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, Hsp90 enables drug resistance and virulence by stabilizing diverse signal transducers. Here, we review studies that have unveiled regulators of Hsp90 function, as well as downstream effectors that govern the key virulence traits of morphogenesis and drug resistance. We highlight recent work mapping the Hsp90 genetic network in C. albicans under diverse environmental conditions, and how these interactions provide insight into circuitry important for drug resistance, morphogenesis, and virulence. Ultimately, elucidating the Hsp90 chaperone network will aid in the development of therapeutics to treat fungal disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa R O'Meara
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Nicole Robbins
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - Leah E Cowen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1M1, Canada.
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11
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Juvvadi PR, Lee SC, Heitman J, Steinbach WJ. Calcineurin in fungal virulence and drug resistance: Prospects for harnessing targeted inhibition of calcineurin for an antifungal therapeutic approach. Virulence 2017; 8:186-197. [PMID: 27325145 PMCID: PMC5354160 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2016.1201250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Revised: 06/07/2016] [Accepted: 06/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Increases in the incidence and mortality due to the major invasive fungal infections such as aspergillosis, candidiasis and cryptococcosis caused by the species of Aspergillus, Candida and Cryptococcus, are a growing threat to the immunosuppressed patient population. In addition to the limited armamentarium of the current classes of antifungal agents available (pyrimidine analogs, polyenes, azoles, and echinocandins), their toxicity, efficacy and the emergence of resistance are major bottlenecks limiting successful patient outcomes. Although these drugs target distinct fungal pathways, there is an urgent need to develop new antifungals that are more efficacious, fungal-specific, with reduced or no toxicity and simultaneously do not induce resistance. Here we review several lines of evidence which indicate that the calcineurin signaling pathway, a target of the immunosuppressive drugs FK506 and cyclosporine A, orchestrates growth, virulence and drug resistance in a variety of fungal pathogens and can be exploited for novel antifungal drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Praveen R. Juvvadi
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Soo Chan Lee
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joseph Heitman
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - William J. Steinbach
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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12
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Abstract
Candida albicans is an important human fungal pathogen, in terms of both its clinical significance and its use as an experimental model for scientific investigation. Although this opportunistic pathogen is a natural component of the human flora, it can cause life-threatening infections in immunosuppressed patients. There are currently a limited number of antifungal molecules and drug targets, and increasing resistance to the front-line therapeutics, demonstrating a clear need for new antifungal drugs. Understanding the biology of this pathogen is an important prerequisite for identifying new drug targets for antifungal therapeutics. In this review, we highlight some recent developments that help us to understand how virulence traits are regulated at the molecular level, in addition to technical advances that improve the ability of genome editing in C. albicans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adnane Sellam
- Infectious Diseases Research Centre-CRI, CHU de Québec Research Center (CHUQ), Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; Department of Microbiology, Infectious Disease and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Malcolm Whiteway
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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13
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Purification and comparison of heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) in Candida albicans isolates from Malaysian and Iranian patients and infected mice. J Mycol Med 2016; 26:94-102. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mycmed.2015.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2015] [Revised: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 12/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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