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Fungal physiology

Sticky Candida auris

Nature Reviews Microbiology volume 21, page 770 (2023)Cite this article

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The emerging fungal pathogen Candida auris is causing an increasing number of health-care-associated infections and is therefore a growing concern for public health. The fungus persistently colonizes the skin of patients, indwelling medical devices and abiotic surfaces, which are the source of ongoing transmission in the hospital setting. Attachment of fungal pathogens to biotic and abiotic surfaces is mediated by adhesin proteins on the cell surface.

The authors generated mutants for each of the 12 adhesin genes encoded in C. auris and found that only the deletion of IFF4109 resulted in an adhesive defect, although attachment was not completely abolished. This finding indicated that another unknown adhesive factor might be involved. Another screen using insertional mutants revealed a gene, SCF1, that has a crucial role in cell attachment to polymer surfaces. The authors showed that the expressed protein is located at the cell surface, which is in agreement with a role as an adhesin.

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References

Original article

  • Santana, D. J. et al. A Candida auris–specific adhesin, Scf1, governs surface association, colonization, and virulence. Science 381, 1461–1467 (2023)

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  1. Nature Reviews Microbiology http://www.nature.com/nrmicro/

    Andrea Du Toit

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  1. Andrea Du Toit
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Correspondence to Andrea Du Toit.

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Du Toit, A. Sticky Candida auris. Nat Rev Microbiol 21, 770 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-023-00986-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41579-023-00986-z

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