Alternative Carbon Utilization As A Virulence Determinant For Candida Albicans

<p><em>Candida albicans </em>is a polymorphic unicellular fungus that has evolved to proficiently colonize and infect mammals. A common constituent of the microbiome in the GI tract, mouth, vagina, and skin, <em>C. albicans </em>is also an opportunistic pathogen capable of causing a variety of mucosal infections and the life-threatening disseminated candidiasis. Systemic <em>C. albicans</em> infections are a serious and growing issue; the fungus is the fourth most common cause of nosocomial bloodstream infections which has a mortality rate reaching 50%. As antifungal resistance continues to rise, it is critical that I understand the molecular basis of disseminated fungal infections.</p> <p>The phagocytes of the immune system are especially important for preventing disseminated infection. Macrophages are employed to clear pathogens in the harsh environment of a phagosome, but<em> C. albicans, </em>as an adaptable opportunist, is capable of surviving macrophage attack to continue dissemination. The Lorenz Lab and other leading labs in the field have identified that <em>C. albicans </em>rapidly adapts to the macrophage phagosome by upregulating alternative carbon utilization processes. The utilization of three alternative carbon sources particularly contribute to <em>C. albicans </em>pathogenesis: carboxylic acids, amino acids, and <em>N</em>-acetylglucosamine. Studied individually, utilization of each carbon source appears to equally contribute to pathogenesis, although mutants defective in any one carbon utilization pathway display only modest attenuation.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation (PhD)

Year dc:date.available

2020

Authors dc:creator

• Williams, Robert
• <p>https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3600-1537</p>

Contributors dc:contributor

• Michael C Lorenz, PhD
• Ambro van Hoof, PhD
• Anne Marie Krachler, PhD

• Fungal pathogenesis
• alternative carbon metabolism
• Candida albicans
• host-microbe interactions
• innate immunology
• amino acids
• N-acetylglucosamine
• carboxylic acids
• Life Sciences
• Medicine and Health Sciences

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/utgsbs_dissertations/989

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu:utgsbs_dissertations-2038