Signalling and oxidant adaptation in Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus.

Candida species and Aspergillus fumigatus were once thought to be relatively benign organisms. However, it is now known that this is not the case - Candida species rank among the top four causes of nosocomial infectious diseases in humans and A. fumigatus is the most deadly mould, often having a 90% mortality rate in immunocompromised transplant recipients. Adaptation to stress, including oxidative stress, is a necessary requisite for survival of these organisms during infection. Here, we describe the latest information on the signalling pathways and target proteins that contribute to oxidant adaptation in C. albicans and A. fumigatus, which has been obtained primarily through the analysis of mutants or inference from genome annotation.