Eicosanoid production by Candida parapsilosis and other pathogenic yeasts

ABSTRACT

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Candida parapsilosis
• pathogenic yeast
• fungal eicosanoids
• virulence

Acknowledgments

Critical reading of the manuscript by Joshua D. Nosanchuk is gratefully acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

TC was supported the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreements FP7-PEOPLE-2013-ITN-606786 “ImResFun” and from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No H2020-MSCAITN-2014-642095. AG was funded by NKFIH NN 113153, by GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00035, by GINOP-2.3.3-15-2016-00006 and by OTKA-NKFIH K123952. Ministry of Human Capacities, Hungary grant 20391-3/2018/FEKUSTRAT; Emberi Eroforrások Minisztériuma [20391-3/2018/FEKUSTRAT]; FP7-PEOPLE-2013-ITN - Marie-Curie Action: "Initial Training Networks" [FP7-PEOPLE-2013-ITN-606786]; Magyar Tudományos Akadémia [LP2018-15/2018]; GINOP [GINOP-2.3.3-15-2016-00006]; NKFIH [K123952]; GINOP [GINOP-2.3.2-15-2016-00035] is acknowledged.