The Candida albicans cell wall as a dynamic interface orchestrating environmental adaptation and pathogenesis

In pathogenic fungi, the cell wall serves critical functions in sensing environmental cues, mediating signal transduction, and facilitating host-pathogen interactions. The cell wall of Candida albicans, one of the major pathogenic fungus of humans, comprises three primary structural components: β-glucans, chitin, and mannoproteins. Importantly, both polysaccharide and protein components undergo dynamic remodeling in response to environmental stresses and nutrient fluctuations within the host niche, enabling evasion or manipulation of innate immune surveillance. C. albicans also exhibits remarkable capacity for rapid and adaptive cell wall reprogramming to sustain survival when challenged with antifungal drugs. Notably, cell wall dynamics occur across other Candida species, albeit with distinct species-specific characteristics, as exemplified by Candida auris, a recently emerging fungal pathogen of significant clinical concern. This review summarizes current understanding of the mechanisms underlying fungal cell wall remodeling elicited by host signaling, a dynamic process that facilitates both survival and establishment of infection, using the human pathogen C. albicans as the principal model organism.