The hyphal-specific toxin candidalysin promotes fungal gut commensalism. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38448595/)

These scientists studied a fungus called Candida albicans that can live in our guts and sometimes make us sick. This fungus can change its shape from a single-celled form to a multicellular form to survive in different environments. People used to think that the single-celled form was best for living in the gut, but the multicellular form was better for causing diseases.

However, these scientists found out that when the fungus is in a community with other bacteria in the gut, the multicellular form is actually better at surviving and growing. They discovered that the fungus produces a toxin called candidalysin that helps it grow better in the gut. This toxin can also stop some bacteria from growing.

So, the scientists think that this fungus has evolved to change its shape and produce this toxin to compete with other bacteria in our guts. This study helps us understand more about how this fungus can live in our bodies and cause infections.

Liang SH., Sircaik S., Dainis J., Kakade P., Penumutchu S., McDonough LD., Chen YH., Frazer C., Schille TB., Allert S., Elshafee O., Hanel M., Mogavero S., Vaishnava S., Cadwell K., Belenky P., Perez JC., Hube B., Ene IV., Bennett RJ. The hyphal-specific toxin candidalysin promotes fungal gut commensalism. Nature. 2024 Mar 6. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-07142-4.