β-1,6-Glucan plays a central role in the structure and remodeling of the bilaminate fungal cell wall
The cell wall of human fungal pathogens plays critical roles as an architectural scaffold and as a target and modulator of the host immune response. Although the cell wall of the pathogenic yeast Candida albicans is intensively studied, one of the major fibrillar components in its cell wall, β-1,6-glucan, has been largely neglected. Here, we show that β-1,6-glucan is essential for bilayered cell wall organization, cell wall integrity, and filamentous growth. For the first time, we show that β-1,6-glucan production compensates the defect in mannan elongation in the outer layer of the cell wall. In addition, β-1,6-glucan dynamics are also coordinated by host environmental stimuli and stresses with wall remodeling, where the regulation of β-1,6-glucan structure and chain length is a crucial process. As we point out that β-1,6-glucan is exposed at the yeast surface and modulate immune response, β-1,6-glucan must be considered a key factor in host–pathogen interactions.
Authors
- Vishukumar Aimanianda (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5813-7497)
- Neil A. R. Gow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2776-5850)
- Thierry Mourer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1651-6768)
- J. Iñaki Guijarro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3826-5245)
- Murielle Chauvel
- Thierry Fontaine
- Isabel Valsecchi
- Sophie Bachellier‐Bassi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3970-4825)
- Cyril Scandola (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5305-9095)
- Christophe d’Enfert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6235-3886)
- Clara Bekirian (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9300-949X)
Institutions
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Institut Pasteur (FR)
- École Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort (FR)
- Université Paris-Est Créteil (FR)
- Université Paris Cité (FR)
- University of Exeter (GB)
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR)
- Medical Research Council (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- eLife
- Published
- 2024-09-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.100569
- Citations
- 5
- Primary Topic
- Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.95
Funders
- Wellcome Trust
- National Institute for Health and Care Research
- Department of Health and Social Care
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche
- Medical Research Council Centre for Medical Mycology
- Medical Research Council