For citation purposes: Garcia MC, Lipke PN, Klotz SA. Pathogenic microbial amyloids: their function and the host response. OA Microbiology 2013 Dec 01;1(1):2.

Review

 
Infection & Immunity

Pathogenic microbial amyloids: their function and the host response

MC Garcia, PN Lipke, SA Klotz
 

Authors affiliations

(1) Department of Biology, Brooklyn College of City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA

(2) Department of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

* Corresponding author Email: sklotz@u.arizona.edu

Abstract

Introduction

Functional microbial amyloids are ubiquitous in nature and some contribute to the pathogenesis of infectious diseases. Three pathogenic microbialamyloids are compared and their contribution to the disease process explained. The recent demonstration and visualisation of fungal amyloid in human invasive candidiasis are discussed. Moreover, the binding of host serum amyloid P component to Candida functional amyloid in invasive human disease is presented in light of its possible role of masking fungi from the host defences.

Conclusion

Pathogenic fungi possess functional cell surface amyloids that are demonstrated by amyloidophilic dyes and these proteins bind serum amyloid P compound which may mask the fungal surface from host defences.

Licensee OA Publishing London 2013. Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY)
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Keywords
  • Amyloid
  • Functional amyloid
  • Fungal amyloid
  • Serum amyloid P component
  • Candidiasis