Revisiting the Vital Drivers and Mechanisms of β-Glucan Masking in Human Fungal Pathogen, Candida albicans

Among the several human fungal pathogens, Candida genus represents one of the most implicated in the clinical scenario. There exist several distinctive features that govern the establishment of Candida infections in addition to their capacity to adapt to multiple stress conditions inside humans which also include evasion of host immune responses. The complex fungal cell wall of the prevalent pathogen, Candida albicans, is one of the main targets of antifungal drugs and recognized by host immune cells. The wall consists of tiered arrangement of an outer thin but dense covering of mannan and inner buried layers of beta-glucan and chitin. However, the pathogenic fungi adopt strategies to evade immune recognition by masking these molecules. This capacity to camouflage the immunogenic polysaccharide beta-glucan from the host is a key virulence factor of C. albicans. The present review is an attempt to collate various underlying factors and mechanisms involved in Candida beta-glucan masking from the available pool of knowledge and provide a comprehensive understanding. This will further improve therapeutic approaches to candidiasis by identifying new antifungal targets that blocks fungal immune evasion.

Automated summary

Candida genus is a common human fungal pathogen with complex cell wall and the ability to mask immunogenic molecules, contributing to its virulence. Understanding the masking mechanism of Candida can lead to the identification of new antifungal targets and improve therapeutic approaches for candidiasis.