Recent advances in understanding Candida albicans hyphal growth

Abstract

Morphological changes are critical for the virulence of a range of plant and human fungal pathogens. Candida albicans is a major human fungal pathogen whose ability to switch between different morphological states is associated with its adaptability and pathogenicity. In particular, C. albicans can switch from an oval yeast form to a filamentous hyphal form, which is characteristic of filamentous fungi. What mechanisms underlie hyphal growth and how are they affected by environmental stimuli from the host or resident microbiota? These questions are the focus of intensive research, as understanding C. albicans hyphal growth has broad implications for cell biological and medical research.

Keywords: Spitzenkörper; cellular organization; host-interactions; membrane traffic; morphogenesis; secretion; signaling pathways.

Figure 1.. Schematic highlighting Candida albicans hyphal organization and studies of morphological transition in different processes and at different levels.

The upper panel shows membrane compartments of the exocytic and endocytic pathways focusing on compartments discussed in the review. Endoplasmic reticulum and endosomes, for example, are not shown. The lower panel, reproduced from Weiner et al. , illustrates a segmented three-dimensional dataset from focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy tomography of a hyphal tip with internal membranes (yellow), secretory vesicles (red), and sites of endocytosis (blue).