Signaling mechanisms in pathogenesis and virulence of Candida albicans

Invasive fungal infections kill over 1.5 million people a year worldwide, and this number is on the rise due to increasing numbers of people living with compromised immunity, including the elderly, premature infants, transplant recipients, and cancer patients. Fungal pathogens, such as, Candida albicans rely on complex network of signal transduction pathways that allow fungus to not only survive in the human host but also contribute to its pathogenesis. This chapter will focus on the up-to-date information on the signaling pathways and downstream target proteins that contribute to C. albicans virulence, which has been obtained primarily through the analysis of null mutants or inference from genome annotation. However, before addressing these issues in detail, a brief introduction of the magnitude and the economic impact of the healthcare problems caused by fungal pathogens and the currently available treatment options are discussed.