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Published on: March 4, 2020
Nutritional Immunity and Fungal Pathogens: a New Role for Manganese
Asia S Wildeman1, Valeria C Culotta1
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205.
Purpose Of Review:
Copper, zinc, iron and manganese are essential micronutrients for all living organisms. Microbial pathogens must acquire these elements from their host. Through a process termed nutritional immunity, animal hosts seek to withhold these vital nutrients from the microbe and the competition for metals can influence survival outcomes during infection. Much is known about the battle for iron, copper and zinc during fungal infections, but a picture is just now beginning to emerge for manganese.
Recent Findings:
Pathogenic fungi utilize manganese for antioxidant defense, cell wall construction, morphogenesis and survival in animal and plant hosts. The animal host can limit manganese availability for invading fungi at the macrophage, neutrophil and whole tissue levels.
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