Fungi sensing environmental stress

Abstract

Cells need to adapt to the external environment in order to survive. Signal transduction pathways are crucial mechanisms that allow cells to sense and respond to extracellular stimuli. Among the signal transduction pathways, we point out the cascades mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs). The MAPKs are conserved from yeast to human and play relevant roles in the physiology of the cell. In pathogenic fungi these MAPK pathways control virulence factors. This review describes the MAPK cascades described in Candida albicans, the most frequently isolated fungus, from fungal systemic infections among individuals in developed countries.