Exploring the Biology, Virulence, and General Aspects of Candida dubliniensis

Abstract

Fungal infections have become a growing public health concern, aggravated by the emergence of new pathogenic species and increasing resistance to antifungal drugs. The most common candidiasis is caused by Candida albicans; however, Candida dubliniensis has become an emerging opportunistic pathogen, and although less prevalent, it can cause superficial and systemic infections, especially in immunocompromised individuals. This yeast can colonize the oral cavity, skin, and other tissues, and has been associated with oral infections in patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), making it difficult to treat. The special interest in the study of this species lies in its ability to evade commonly used antifungal drugs, such as fluconazole, under different concentrations. In addition, it is difficult to identify because it can be confused with the species C. albicans, which could interfere with adequate treatment. Although the study of virulence factors in C. dubliniensis is limited, proteomic comparisons with C. albicans indicate that these virulence factors could be similar between the two species. However, differences could exist considering the evolutionary processes and lifestyle of each species. In this study, a detailed review of the current literature on C. dubliniensis was conducted, considering aspects such as biology, possible virulence factors, immune response, pathogen-host interaction, diagnosis, and treatment.

Keywords: candidiasis; emerging pathogens; host–fungus interaction; non-albicans species; virulence factors.

Figure 1

Candida dubliniensis yeast cells and colony morphology. (A) Yeast cells were grown at 28°C in Sabouraud medium, with the typical oval or round cells. Scale bar 5 µm. (B) Candida dubliniensis colony grown on a Sabouraud plate. Scale bar 4.0 mm.

Figure 2

Comparison between the Candida dubliniensis and Candida albicans cell walls. The C. dubliniensis cell wall contains a higher percentage of β-linked mannose and a highly branched N-linked mannan structure compared to C. albicans. Created with BioRender. Gómez, M (2024) https://BioRender.com/u43s285.