Tuned Toxin Expression Helps Candida albicans Evade Detection in the Mouth

Candida albicans occurs naturally in the human microbiome and usually remains harmless. Under certain conditions, however, it can transform from its yeast form into thread-like hyphae and cause infections that can have fatal consequences, especially in immunocompromised patients. In this hyphal form, C. albicans produces the toxin candidalysin, a protein that directly attacks host cells.

Now, new research reveals that C….