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Aspartic proteinases of Candida spp.: role in pathogenicity and antifungal resistance

Naiara C Silva1, Jéssica M Nery, Amanda L T Dias

  • 1Microbiology and Immunology Department, Federal University of Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG), Alfenas, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Mycoses
|June 6, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Secreted aspartic proteinases (Sap) are key virulence factors in Candida fungal infections. This review explores how Sap production and SAP gene expression relate to antifungal resistance in Candida species.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Mycology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Fungal infections, particularly by Candida species, pose significant risks to immunocompromised individuals.
  • Secreted aspartic proteinases (Sap) are crucial virulence factors in Candida, contributing to adhesion, invasion, and tissue damage.
  • The SAP gene family, encoding these proteinases, exhibits varied distribution and expression patterns across Candida species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of secreted aspartic proteinases (Sap) in Candida pathogenicity.
  • To investigate the influence of environmental conditions and antifungal exposure on SAP gene expression and fungal invasiveness.
  • To examine the relationship between Sap secretion, antifungal susceptibility, and the development of resistance in Candida isolates.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on Candida secreted aspartic proteinases (Sap) and their encoding SAP genes.
  • Analysis of factors influencing SAP gene expression, including environmental conditions and subinhibitory antifungal concentrations.
  • Correlation of Sap secretion levels with antifungal resistance profiles in Candida isolates.

Main Results:

  • SAP genes are differentially distributed among Candida species, with pathogenic strains often expressing more SAP genes.
  • Environmental conditions and subinhibitory antifungal concentrations can enhance SAP gene expression and fungal invasiveness.
  • Candida isolates resistant to antifungals generally exhibit higher Sap secretion compared to susceptible isolates.

Conclusions:

  • Secreted aspartic proteinases (Sap) are critical virulence factors in Candida infections.
  • Increased SAP gene expression and Sap secretion are associated with antifungal resistance in Candida.
  • The precise role of SAPs in the development of antifungal resistance requires further investigation.
Keywords:
Aspartic proteinaseCandida spp.antifungal resistancepathogenicityvirulence

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