2. Academic Validation
  3. Candidalysin: discovery and function in Candida albicans infections

Candidalysin: discovery and function in Candida albicans infections

  • Curr Opin Microbiol. 2019 Dec:52:100-109. doi: 10.1016/j.mib.2019.06.002.
Julian R Naglik 1,  Sarah L Gaffen 2,  Bernhard Hube 3
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions, Faculty of Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences, King's College London, London, SE1 1UL, United Kingdom. Electronic address: julian.naglik@kcl.ac.uk.
  • 2 Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA 15261, USA.
  • 3 Department of Microbial Pathogenicity Mechanisms, Leibniz Institute for Natural Product Research and Infection Biology (HKI), Jena, 07745, Germany; Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, 07745, Germany.
PMID: 31288097 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2019.06.002
Abstract

Candidalysin is a cytolytic peptide toxin secreted by the invasive form of the human pathogenic fungus, Candida albicans. Candidalysin is critical for mucosal and systemic infections and is a key driver of host cell activation, neutrophil recruitment and Type 17 immunity. Candidalysin is regarded as the first true classical virulence factor of C. albicans but also triggers protective immune responses. This review will discuss how candidalysin was discovered, the mechanisms by which this peptide toxin contributes to C. albicans infections, and how its discovery has advanced our understanding of Fungal pathogenesis and disease.

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