Abstract
Opportunistic pathogens such as Candida species can use carboxylic acids, like acetate and lactate, to survive and successfully thrive in different environmental niches. These nonfermentable substrates are frequently the major carbon sources present in certain human body sites, and their efficient uptake by regulated plasma membrane transporters plays a critical role in such nutrient-limited conditions. Here, we cover the physiology and regulation of these proteins and their potential role in Candida virulence. This review also presents an evolutionary analysis of orthologues of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Jen1 lactate and Ady2 acetate transporters, including a phylogenetic analysis of 101 putative carboxylate transporters in twelve medically relevant Candida species. These proteins are assigned to distinct clades according to their amino acid sequence homology and represent the major carboxylic acid uptake systems in yeast. While Jen transporters belong to the sialate:H+ symporter (SHS) family, the Ady2 homologue members are assigned to the acetate uptake transporter (AceTr) family. Here, we reclassify the later members as ATO (acetate transporter ortholog). The new nomenclature will facilitate the study of these transporters, as well as the analysis of their relevance for Candida pathogenesis.
Highlights
Opportunistic pathogens such as Candida species can use carboxylic acids, like acetate and lactate, to survive and successfully thrive in different environmental niches
The uptake of carboxylates, such as lactate and acetate, sustains cell metabolism and growth when other preferable carbon sources are limited. This is relevant for a group of pathogenic Candida species, which are well-adapted to different human environmental niches and import these carboxylic acids in order to survive under host conditions that
These nutrient-restricted environments are predominantly found within the gut and vagina, with the host microbiota having a predominant role in the production of propionate, acetate, and lactate [9, 10]
Summary
Opportunistic pathogens such as Candida species can use carboxylic acids, like acetate and lactate, to survive and successfully thrive in different environmental niches. This is relevant for a group of pathogenic Candida species, which are well-adapted to different human environmental niches and import these carboxylic acids in order to survive under host conditions that The induction of lactate and acetate transporters in Candida upon macrophage or neutrophil internalization supports the idea that these nutrients are readily available inside phagocytic cells [11,12,13,14,15,16].
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