A5063633064- Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
- Fungal Infections and Studies
- Neutrophil, Myeloperoxidase and Oxidative Mechanisms
- Probiotics and Fermented Foods
- Heat shock proteins research
- Antimicrobial Peptides and Activities
- Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia detection and treatment
- Reproductive tract infections research
- Peptidase Inhibition and Analysis
- Yeasts and Rust Fungi Studies
- Trace Elements in Health
- Fungal and yeast genetics research
- thermodynamics and calorimetric analyses
- Burn Injury Management and Outcomes
- Ocular Infections and Treatments
- Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms
- Aluminum toxicity and tolerance in plants and animals
- Infection Control in Healthcare
- Infection Control and Ventilation
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
2016-2025
Leibniz-Institut für Naturstoff-Forschung und Infektionsbiologie e. V. - Hans-Knöll-Institut (HKI)
2010-2015
The ability of pathogenic microorganisms to assimilate essential nutrients from their hosts is critical for pathogenesis. Here we report endothelial zinc sequestration by the major human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. We hypothesised that, analogous siderophore-mediated iron acquisition, C. albicans utilises an extracellular scavenger acquiring this metal. postulated that such a "zincophore" system would consist secreted factor with zinc-binding properties, which can specifically...
Neutrophils are key players during Candida albicans infection. However, the relative contributions of neutrophil activities to fungal clearance and importance responses that counteract these remain unclear. We studied intra- extracellular antifungal human neutrophils using diagnostic Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)-marked C. strains. found a carbohydrate starvation response, as indicated by up-regulation glyoxylate cycle genes, was only induced upon phagocytosis fungus. Similarly,...
Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) have multiple cellular functions. However, the biological function of sHsps in pathogenic microorganisms is largely unknown. In present study we identified and characterized novel sHsp Hsp21 human fungal pathogen Candida albicans. Using a reverse genetics approach demonstrate importance for resistance C. albicans to specific stresses, including thermal oxidative stress. Furthermore, hsp21Δ/Δ mutant was defective invasive growth formed significantly shorter...
Candida albicans is well adapted to its host and able sense respond the nutrients available within. We have shown that C. avidly utilizes amino acids as a carbon source, which allows this opportunistic pathogen neutralize acidic environments, including macrophage phagosome. The transcription factor Stp2 key regulator of phenomenon, we sought understand mechanism activation Stp2, focusing on SPS sensor system previously characterized for role in nitrogen acquisition. generated deletion...
Candida albicans is the most frequent cause of oral fungal infections. However, exact pathogenicity mechanisms that this fungus employs are largely unknown and many genes expressed during infection uncharacterized. In study we sought to functionally characterize 12 previously function associated with candidiasis. We generated homozygous knockout mutants for all analyzed their interaction human epithelium in vitro. Eleven caused significantly less epithelial damage and, these, deletion...
Abstract Fungal pathogens are a continuing challenge due to few effective antifungals and rise in resistance. In previous work, we described the inhibition of Candida albicans virulence following exposure 68 amino acid bacteriocin, EntV, secreted by Enterococcus faecalis . Here, optimize EntV as potential therapeutic better understand its antifungal features, an X-ray structure is obtained. The consists six alpha helices enclosing seventh 16 helix (α7). individual tested for activity using...
The pathogenic yeast Candida auris represents a global threat of the utmost clinical relevance. This emerging fungal species is remarkable in its resistance to commonly used antifungal agents and persistence nosocomial settings. innate immune system one first lines defense preventing dissemination pathogens host. C. susceptible circulating phagocytes, understanding molecular details these interactions may suggest routes improved therapies. In this work, we examined with macrophages. We found...
Candida is one of the most frequent causes bloodstream infections, and our first line defense against these invasive infections innate immune system. The early response critical in controlling C. albicans infection, but has several strategies to evade host attack. Phagocytosis blocks hyphal growth, limiting damage virulence, how limits recruitment phagocytosis vertebrate infection poorly understood. To study evasion by intravital imaging, we utilized transparent larval zebrafish model screen...
Candida is one of the most frequent causes bloodstream infections, and our first line defense against these invasive infections innate immune system. The early response critical in controlling albicans infection, but C. has several strategies to evade host attack. Phagocytosis blocks hyphal growth, limiting damage virulence, how limits recruitment phagocytosis vertebrate infection poorly understood. To study evasion by intravital imaging, we utilized transparent larval zebrafish model screen...
Candida albicans is a well-adapted human commensal but also facultative pathogen that can cause superficial and systemic infections. Its remarkable capacity to thrive within the host relies on its ability adapt respond local environment of different niches. C. able cope with oxidative stress in coordinated fashion via upregulation protective mechanisms. Here, we unravel role family glutathione peroxidase (GPx), designated Gpx31, Gpx32, Gpx33, resistance. We show GPx activity induced upon...
Vulvovaginal candidiasis, a superficial infection caused predominantly by the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans, is frequently treated with clotrimazole. Some drug formulations contain lactate for improved solubility. Lactate may modify C. albicans physiology and sensitivity serving as carbon source and/or affecting local pH. Here, we explored effects of lactate, in combination pH changes, on proliferation, morphology clotrimazole sensitivity. Moreover, determined influence growth phase per...
Nutrient acquisition is a central challenge for all organisms. For the fungal pathogen Candida albicans, utilization of amino acids has been shown to be critical survival, immune evasion, and escape, while importance catabolism host-derived proteins peptides in vivo less well understood. Stp1 Stp2 are paralogous transcription factors (TFs) regulated by Ssy1-Ptr3-Ssy5 (SPS) acid sensing system have proposed distinct, if uncertain, roles protein utilization. We show here that required proper...
The tight association of Candida albicans with the human host has driven evolution mechanisms that permit metabolic flexibility. Amino acids, present in a free or peptide-bound form, are abundant carbon and nitrogen sources many niches. In C. albicans, capacity to utilize certain amino like proline, is directly connected fungal morphogenesis virulence. Yet precise nature proline sensing uptake this pathogenic fungus not been investigated. Since encodes 10 putative orthologs four...
ABSTRACT The pathology of vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC) caused by Candida albicans is associated with a nonprotective inflammatory response and frequently treated clotrimazole. We investigated the mechanisms which clotrimazole resolves VVC. Low levels clotrimazole, do not block fungal growth, inhibit expression “danger response” transcription factor, c-Fos, production proinflammatory cytokines, neutrophil infiltration to site infection.
ABSTRACT Human fungal pathogens are distributed throughout their kingdom, suggesting that pathogenic potential evolved independently. Candida albicans is the most virulent member of CUG clade yeasts and a common cause both superficial invasive infections. We therefore hypothesized C. possesses distinct pathogenicity mechanisms. In silico genome subtraction comparative transcriptional analysis identified total 65 lbicans - s pecific g enes (ASGs) expressed during infection. Phenotypic...
The tight association of Candida albicans with the human host has driven evolution mechanisms that permit metabolic flexibility. Amino acids, present in free form or peptide bound, are an abundant carbon and nitrogen source many niches. Further,the capacity to sense utilize certain amino like proline, is directly linked virulence. C. genome encodes for at least 24 acid permeases (AAPs), highlighting importance flexible uptake fungal growth Although substrate specificity role AAPs been...