Primary Metabolism of Human Pathogenic Fungi, Importance for Virulence and Potential for Drug Development

Abstract

Human fungal pathogens represent a serious and increasing threat to human health. It is widely acknowledged that novel antifungal drugs are urgently needed to deal with the growing problem of fungal diseases, and to that aim a deeper understanding of the infection process is required. Primary metabolism is one fundamental virulence trait of fungal pathogens, as their capacity to assimilate nutrients and to adapt to the conditions of the dynamic mammalian host is central to their ability to colonise human tissues. Therefore, primary metabolism can be considered a broad, promising source for potential antifungal targets. In this chapter we present an in-depth overview of fungal primary metabolism, its known links with fungal virulence and highlight the proposed targets for development of novel antifungal drugs.