Candida albicans-secreted lipase induces injury and steatosis in immune and parenchymal cells.

Virulence depends on opposing reactions between host and pathogen and is intrinsically linked to the host immune status. Virulence factors rely upon microbial attributes that mediate cell damage. While the activity of several Candida albicans hydrolytic enzymes is well characterized, the biological role of lipases is uncertain. In this report, we identified, isolated, and characterized a C. albicans 70 kDa lipase that exhibited maximal activity at physiological pH and temperature. We evaluated the ability of C. albicans lipase to interact with two types of mammalian host cells: macrophages, as crucial immune effector cells involved in fungal control, and hepatocytes, as examples of parenchymal cells compromised during fungal dissemination. Herein, we demonstrate for the first time that an extracellular lipase released by C. albicans directly induced cytotoxicity and promoted the deposition of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm of macrophages and hepatocytes.