Convergent evolution of innate immune-modulating effectors in invasive fungal pathogens.

Invasive fungal infections are a growing threat to human health. Secreted effector proteins are a ubiquitous strategy used by diverse microbial pathogens to manipulate host biology and enable pathogen replication. Recent work has revealed secreted protein effectors produced by human fungal pathogens. Secreted fungal effectors target apoptosis, myeloid cell polarization, Toll-like receptor signaling, and phagosome action. Despite lacking specialized secretion systems, fungi have evolved secreted effectors that subvert many host pathways targeted by highly host-adapted bacteria and parasites. Invasive fungal infections pose a major threat to human health. Bacterial and protozoan pathogens secrete protein effectors that overcome innate immune barriers to promote microbial colonization, yet few such molecules have been identified in human fungal pathogens. Recent studies have begun to reveal these long-sought effectors and have illuminated how they subvert key cellular pathways, including apoptosis, myeloid cell polarization, Toll-like receptor signaling, and phagosome action. Thus, despite lacking the specialized secretion systems of bacteria and parasites, it is increasingly clear that fungi independently evolved effectors targeting pathways often subverted by other classes of pathogens. These findings demonstrate the remarkable power of convergent evolution to enable diverse microbes to infect humans while also setting the stage for detailed dissection of fungal disease mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]