Alkaloids solenopsins from fire ants display and activity against the yeast .

The urgency surrounding as a public health threat is highlighted by both the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) that categorized this species as a priority fungal pathogen. Given the current limitations of antifungal therapy for , particularly due to its multiple resistance to the current antifungals, the identification of new drugs is of paramount importance. Some alkaloids abundant in the venom of the red invasive fire ant (), known as solenopsins, have garnered attention as potent inhibitors of bacterial biofilms, and there are no studies demonstrating such effects against fungal pathogens.

Candida albicans extracellular vesicles trigger type I IFN signalling via cGAS and STING.

The host type I interferon (IFN) pathway is a major signature of inflammation induced by the human fungal pathogen, Candida albicans. However, the molecular mechanism for activating this pathway in the host defence against C. albicans remains unknown.

Traversing the Cell Wall: The Chitinolytic Activity of Extracellular Vesicles Facilitates Their Release.

is the causative agent of histoplasmosis. Treating this fungal infection conventionally has significant limitations, prompting the search for alternative therapies. In this context, fungal extracellular vesicles (EVs) hold relevant potential as both therapeutic agents and targets for the treatment of fungal infections.

Vaccine development for pathogenic fungi: current status and future directions.

Introduction: Fungal infections are caused by a broad range of pathogenic fungi that are found worldwide with different geographic distributions, incidences, and mortality rates. Considering that there are relatively few approved medications available for combating fungal diseases and no vaccine formulation commercially available, multiple groups are searching for new antifungal drugs, examining drugs for repurposing and developing antifungal vaccines, in order to control deaths, sequels, and the spread of these complex infections.

Areas Covered: This review provides a summary of advances in fungal vaccine studies and the different approaches under development, such as subunit vaccines, whole organism vaccines, and DNA vaccines, as well as studies that optimize the use of adjuvants.

Nitric oxide-loaded nano- and microparticle platforms serving as potential new antifungal therapeutics.

Fungal diseases are a leading threat to human health, especially in individuals with compromised immunity. Although there have been recent important advances in antifungal drug development, antifungal resistance, drug-drug interactions and difficulties in delivery remain major challenges. Among its pleiotropic actions, nitric oxide (NO) is a key molecule in host defense.

Melanization of Is Associated with Alteration of Extracellular pH.

is a recently emerged global fungal pathogen, which causes life-threatening infections, often in healthcare settings. infections are worrisome because the fungus is often resistant to multiple antifungal drug classes. Furthermore, forms durable and difficult to remove biofilms.

Caspofungin Affects Extracellular Vesicle Production and Cargo in .

Antifungal resistance has become more frequent, either due to the emergence of naturally resistant species or the development of mechanisms that lead to resistance in previously susceptible species. Among these fungal species of global threat, stands out for commonly being highly resistant to antifungal drugs, and some isolates are pan-resistant. The rate of mortality linked to infections varies from 28% to 78%.

Pathogenicity & virulence of - A multifaceted organism adapted to intracellular environments.

Histoplasmosis is a systemic mycosis caused by the thermally dimorphic fungus . Although healthy individuals can develop histoplasmosis, the disease is particularly life-threatening in immunocompromised patients, with a wide range of clinical manifestations depending on the inoculum and virulence of the infecting strain. In this review, we discuss the established virulence factors and pathogenesis traits that make highly adapted to a wide variety of hosts, including mammals.

Isolation of Extracellular Vesicles from Candida auris.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are structures released by a variety of cells from all kingdoms of life. EVs are typically involved in communication between tissues and organs, between distinct organisms, or inside microbial communities. The plasticity of these structures is reflected in the range of biological effects they are able to induce or inhibit.

Extracellular Vesicles Regulate Biofilm Formation and Yeast-to-Hypha Differentiation in Candida albicans.

In this study, we investigated the influence of fungal extracellular vesicles (EVs) during biofilm formation and morphogenesis in Candida albicans. Using crystal violet staining and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), we demonstrated that C. albicans EVs inhibited biofilm formation .

Methamphetamine Enhances Cryptococcus neoformans Melanization, Antifungal Resistance, and Pathogenesis in a Murine Model of Drug Administration and Systemic Infection.

Methamphetamine (METH) is a major public health and safety problem in the United States. Chronic METH abuse is associated with a 2-fold-higher risk of HIV infection and, possibly, additional infections, particularly those that enter through the respiratory tract or skin. Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated opportunistic yeast-like fungus that is a relatively frequent cause of meningoencephalitis in immunocompromised patients, especially in individuals with AIDS.

Replicative Aging Remodels the Cell Wall and Is Associated with Increased Intracellular Trafficking in Human Pathogenic Yeasts.

Replicative aging is an underexplored field of research in medical mycology. Cryptococcus neoformans () and Candida glabrata () are dreaded fungal pathogens that cause fatal invasive infections. The fungal cell wall is essential for yeast viability and pathogenesis.

Lessons Learned from Studying Histoplasma capsulatum Extracellular Vesicles.

Histoplasma capsulatum is a major endemic mycosis. Our laboratories have demonstrated that H. capsulatum produces extracellular vesicles (EV) that are loaded with diverse compounds that influence virulence.

Cellular and Extracellular Vesicle RNA Analysis in the Global Threat Fungus .

Emerging and reemerging pathogens are a worldwide concern, and it is predicted that these microbes will cause severe outbreaks. Candida auris affects people with weakened immune systems, particularly those who are hospitalized or are in health care facilities. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer structures released by organisms from all domains of life.

A Histoplasma capsulatum Lipid Metabolic Map Identifies Antifungal Targets.

Lipids play a fundamental role in fungal cell biology, being essential cell membrane components and major targets of antifungal drugs. A deeper knowledge of lipid metabolism is key for developing new drugs and a better understanding of fungal pathogenesis. Here, we built a comprehensive map of the Histoplasma capsulatum lipid metabolic pathway by incorporating proteomic and lipidomic analyses.

Transcriptional and translational landscape of in response to caspofungin.

has emerged as a serious worldwide threat by causing opportunistic infections that are frequently resistant to one or more conventional antifungal medications resulting in high mortality rates. Against this backdrop, health warnings around the world have focused efforts on understanding fungal biology and effective prevention and treatment approaches to combat this fungus. To date, there is little information about the differentially expressed genes when this fungus is treated with conventional antifungals, and caspofungin is a standard echinocandin deployed in the therapy against .

Comparative Molecular and Immunoregulatory Analysis of Extracellular Vesicles from Candida albicans and Candida auris.

Candida auris is a recently described multidrug-resistant pathogenic fungus that is increasingly responsible for health care-associated outbreaks across the world. Bloodstream infections of this fungus cause death in up to 70% of cases. Aggravating this scenario, the disease-promoting mechanisms of C.

Host cell membrane microdomains and fungal infection.

Lipid microdomains or lipid rafts are dynamic and tightly ordered regions of the plasma membrane. In mammalian cells, they are enriched in cholesterol, glycosphingolipids, Glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored and signalling-related proteins. Several studies have suggested that mammalian pattern recognition receptors are concentrated or recruited to lipid domains during host-pathogen association to enhance the effectiveness of host effector processes.

Omics Approaches for Understanding Biogenesis, Composition and Functions of Fungal Extracellular Vesicles.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer structures released by organisms from all kingdoms of life. The diverse biogenesis pathways of EVs result in a wide variety of physical properties and functions across different organisms. Fungal EVs were first described in 2007 and different omics approaches have been fundamental to understand their composition, biogenesis, and function.

Fungal Melanin and the Mammalian Immune System.

Melanins are ubiquitous complex polymers that are commonly known in humans to cause pigmentation of our skin. Melanins are also present in bacteria, fungi, and helminths. In this review, we will describe the diverse interactions of fungal melanin with the mammalian immune system.

Complex and Controversial Roles of Eicosanoids in Fungal Pathogenesis.

The prevalence of fungal infections has increased in immunocompromised patients, leading to millions of deaths annually. Arachidonic acid (AA) metabolites, such as eicosanoids, play important roles in regulating innate and adaptative immune function, particularly since they can function as virulence factors enhancing fungal colonization and are produced by mammalian and lower eukaryotes, such as yeasts and other fungi (, and ). produces prostaglandins (PG), Leukotrienes (LT) and Resolvins (Rvs), whereas the first two have been well documented in sp.

Nutritional Conditions Modulate Extracellular Vesicles' Capacity to Elicit Host Immune Response.

is a human pathogenic fungus that mainly afflicts immunocompromised patients. One of its virulence strategies is the production of extracellular vesicles (EVs), containing cargo with immunomodulatory properties. We evaluated EV's characteristics produced by capsular and acapsular strains of (B3501 and ΔCap67, respectively) growing in nutritionally poor or rich media and co-cultures with bone marrow-derived macrophages or dendritic cells from C57BL/6 mice.

Remodeling of the Membrane Induced by Monoclonal Antibodies.

Antibodies play a central role in host immunity by directly inactivating or recognizing an invading pathogen to enhance different immune responses to combat the invader. However, the cellular responses of pathogens to the presence of antibodies are not well-characterized. Here, we used different mass spectrometry techniques to study the cellular responses of the pathogenic fungus to monoclonal antibodies (mAb) against HSP60, the surface protein involved in infection.