Eicosanoid production by Candida parapsilosis and other pathogenic yeasts

Eicosanoids are bioactive lipid mediators generated in almost all mammalian cells from the oxidation of arachidonic acid and other related twenty-carbon polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Eicosanoids regulate various physiological functions, including cellular homoeostasis and modulation of inflammatory responses in mammals. The mode of action of these lipid mediators depend on their binding to different G-protein coupled receptors. The three main enzymatic pathways associated with their production are the COX pathway, LOX pathway and cytochrome P450 pathway. Interestingly, investigations have also revealed that several human pathogenic fungi are capable of producing these bioactive lipid mediators; however, the exact biosynthetic pathways and their function in pathogenicity are not yet extensively characterized. The aim of the current review is to summarize the recent discoveries pertaining to eicosanoid production by human pathogenic yeasts with a special focus on the opportunistic human fungal pathogen Candida parapsilosis.