Candida albicans dwelling in the mammalian gut

Abstract

The yeast Candida albicans inhabits the gastrointestinal tract of most healthy adults, seemingly living there as a harmless commensal. The fungus on occasion disseminates from the gut to other internal organs causing life-threatening infections. Here, I review some of the most exciting advances in the study of gut colonization by C. albicans in the last few years. These developments highlight the close interplay between C. albicans and cohabiting microbes, the responses that commensal fungi elicit from the mammalian host, and the genetic determinants that allow the fungus to thrive in such a crowded and demanding ecosystem.