Lipid Metabolism in Model Fungi: The Achilles Heel of Fungal Pathogens

Lipids play an intricate part in eukaryotic cell signaling. Extensive research in model fungi like Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans, and Cryptococcus neoformans has allowed for the identification of enzymes responsible for lipid metabolism, shown the role of these enzymes in cell functions, and revealed the importance of lipid signaling in pathogenicity. This module will summarize current knowledge concerning sphingolipid, glycosphingolipid and sterol biosynthesis in fungi and provide an update on more recent work with a particular focus on inhibitors that target lipid pathways in fungi.