Principal Investigator Gerald Fink
Current experiments are focused on the differential response of macrophages and neutrophils to the non-pathogen Saccharomyces cerevisiae and the pathogen Candida albicans. The b-glucan and the mannoproteins on the surface of fungi are the signature molecules recognized by the phagocytic cells of the immune system in their attempt to destroy pathogens. But, fungi have genetic, epigenetic and regulatory mechanisms that change the ensemble of surface molecules to avoid or alter recognition. The surface mannoproteins (adhesins) of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans and Candida glabrata form a superfamily united by a common structure consisting of three domains (A, B, C). The amino terminal domain (A) provides much of the affinity for surfaces. This domain is followed by a segment of variable length (B) that is extremely rich in serines and threonines and contains many tandem repeats. The carboxyterminal region (C), links the mannoprotein to the b-glucan.