Dimorphism and Pathogenicity of the Opportunistic Ascomycota Candida albicans

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Candida albicans is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen that belongs to the Saccharomycetaceae family of ascomycota fungi. C. albicans is responsible for local and systemic infections, mainly in immunocompromised patients. Inside the host, it has the ability to form biofilms, to adapt to different environmental pressures and to switch between yeast and filamentous forms. The molecular mechanisms behind dimorphic transition in C. albicans and its relation to pathogenesis are scientific highlights, and many efforts have been done to understand and identify key regulators in this process. In the present chapter, we review many important regulators of yeast-to-hypha transition in C. albicans, including transcription factors, signaling mediated by cAMP and MAPK pathways, pH dependent morphological transitions and the role of important growth regulators such as polyamines. Even so information on new molecules is still needed to fully understand the mechanisms governing dimorphism in C. albicans.