Overview
MetaFungal (Metabolism of carboxylic acids in Fungal Infections) - PTDC/BIA-MIC/5246/2020 - is a project funded by national funds through the ‘Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia’ (FCT) I.P.
MetaFungal integrates state-of-the-art approaches in pathogenomics, molecular biology, infection biology and bioimaging, to elucidate how the metabolism of specific nutrients (in particular, carboxylic acids) directly impacts the pathogenic behaviour of C. albicans.
Several studies in Candida have consistently demonstrated that carboxylate transporters are
strongly upregulated following phagocytosis, reinforcing the idea that carboxylate assimilation, dependent on plasma membrane (PM) transporters, is an integral part of the response to phagocytosis.
In Candida albicans two families of PM transporters are responsible for the uptake of these substrates: Jen transporters belonging to the sialate:H+ symporter (SHS) family, and the
ATO (acetate transporter ortholog) transporters assigned to the acetate uptake transporter (AceTr) family. This project will study C. albicans Ato family members in the context of fungal infections.
​
There are 8 Ato-like proteins in C. albicans, whose function is still elusive, and they will be analysed in this project.
Our impact.
MetaFungal project is dedicated to advancing knowledge in fungal research to improve global health and environment.
Considering the different niches in which Candida grows in the body, the results of our project have the potential to fundamentally advance our understanding of the interactions between these pathogens and the human host. Using novel metabolic and molecular-based approaches, we ultimately expect to identify novel points of fragility in C. albicans that can be developed, in the future, as therapeutic targets to treat Candida infections.
Common sites of the host for C. albicans infections
Objectives
1
To combine interdisciplinary and cutting-edge approaches to address fundamental questions about how C. albicans cells control the transport and sense the presence of carboxylic
acids
2
To test the hypothesis that the deletion of Ato acetate transporters will affect the immune responses against C. albicans and its pathogenicity
3
To test the impact of the transporters upon key pathogenic traits of C. albicans including the modulation of ambient pH and biofilm formation
4
To define how carboxylic acids affect the drug resistance of C. albicans
5
To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the regulation of the Ato transporters
3 International Collaborators
Budget
236.847,08 €
Duration
1/06/21 - 31/05/25
Home Institutions
International Institutions
Funding Agencies
PTDC/BIA-MIC/5246/2020