Progress in chitin synthases of human pathogenic fungi

Abstract:

Inhibiting the synthesis of fungal cell wall is a safe and effective strategy for preventing and treating fungal infections. Chitin synthases are the key enzymes to catalyze the synthesis of chitin, an important structural component of fungal cell wall and septa. The roles of chitin synthases vary in regulating the synthesis of fungal chitin. This review outlines the roles of chitin synthases in regulating fungal cell proliferation, morphogenesis, interactions with hosts, and compensatory effect induced by cell wall damage in the three major pathogenic fungal species: Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Cryptococcus neoformans, aiming to understand the importance of chitin synthases in fungal pathogenicity. Furthermore, this paper proposes a new antifungal strategy and the future research directions about the chitin synthases of fungi.