How human pathogenic fungi sense and adapt to pH: the link to virulence.
The ability of fungal pathogens to cause disease is dependent on the ability to grow within the human host environment. In general, the human host environment can be considered a slightly alkaline environment, and the ability of fungi to grow at this pH is essential for pathogenesis. The Rim101 signal transduction pathway is the primary pH sensing pathway described in the pathogenic fungi, and in Candida albicans, it is required for a variety of diseases. As more detailed analyses have been conducted studying pathogenesis at the molecular level, it has become clear that the Rim101 pathway, and pH responses in general, play an intimate role in pathogenesis beyond simply allowing the organism to grow. Here, several recent advances into Rim101-dependent functions implicated in disease progression are discussed.
Davis
Dana A
DA
1360 Mayo Building MMC196, Department of Microbiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. dadavis@umn.edu
D000818:Animals; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000472:pathogenicity* / Q000502:physiology*; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008954:Models, Biological; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014774:Virulence; D037521:Virulence Factors / Q000502:physiology
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; C489602:RIM101 protein, Candida albicans; D037521:Virulence Factors