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Human fungal pathogen Candida albicans in the postgenomic era: an overview

M Anaul Kabir1, Mohammad Asif Hussain

  • 1Department of Biotechnology, PA College of Engineering, Kairangala, Mangalore-574153, Karnataka, India. anaulk@yahoo.com

Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy
|July 23, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Candida albicans, a major fungal pathogen, causes candidiasis in immunocompromised patients. Genome sequencing aids in understanding its biology and developing new anti-Candida therapies by analyzing its genes and functions.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology
  • Genomics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Candida albicans is a significant opportunistic human fungal pathogen causing candidiasis.
  • Increased numbers of immunocompromised patients heighten susceptibility to C. albicans infections.
  • The availability of the C. albicans genome sequence presents opportunities for functional genomics research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current knowledge on Candida biology informed by its genome sequence.
  • To discuss functional analysis of C. albicans genes, particularly species-specific ones.
  • To explore anti-Candida therapeutic strategies in light of genomic data.

Main Methods:

  • Genome sequencing and annotation of Candida albicans.
  • Systematic deletion of open reading frames (ORFs) to assign gene functions.
  • Review of existing literature on Candida biology, functional genomics, and therapy.

Main Results:

  • The C. albicans genome comprises approximately 16 Mb with 6114 ORFs, including 774 species-specific genes.
  • Functional analysis efforts are underway to elucidate the roles of unknown and specific genes.
  • Genomic insights are crucial for understanding host-pathogen interactions and drug development.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding C. albicans biology through genomic and functional analysis is key to combating candidiasis.
  • Further research into specific genes and pathways can lead to novel anti-Candida therapies.
  • Addressing current challenges in Candida research offers opportunities for advancing treatment strategies.

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