Emerging roles of inositol pyrophosphates as key modulators of fungal pathogenicity

2Citations
Citations of this article
15Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Inositol pyrophosphates (PP-IPs) are energy-rich small molecules that are omnipresent in eukaryotic cells, from yeast to mammals, playing central roles in overall cellular homeostasis as a diverse and multifaceted class of intracellular messengers. Recent studies of the metabolic pathways and physiological roles of PP-IPs in the human pathogenic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans have revealed that the PP-IP5 (IP7) is a key metabolite essential for fungal metabolic adaptation to the host environment, immune recognition, and pathogenicity. This suggests the PP-IP biosynthesis pathway, comprising phospholipase C1 (Plc1) and a series of sequentially acting inositol polyphosphate kinases (IPKs), as a new virulence-related signaling pathway in C. neoformans. Given that fungal species have a reduced array of the kinases required for the synthesis of PP-IPs and that the homology between human and fungal IPKs is restricted to a few catalytically important residues, identification of IPK inhibitors specifically targeting the kinases of pathogenic fungi has emerged as a desirable and achievable strategy for antifungal drug development.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Kang, H. A. (2018, January 1). Emerging roles of inositol pyrophosphates as key modulators of fungal pathogenicity. Virulence. Taylor and Francis Inc. https://doi.org/10.1080/21505594.2017.1421832

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free