Zinc at the Host-Fungus interface: how to uptake the metal?

Abstract

Zinc is an essential nutrient for all living organisms. However, firm regulation must be maintained since micronutrients also can be toxic in high concentrations. This notion is reinforced when we look at mechanisms deployed by our immune system, such as the use of chelators or membrane transporters that capture zinc, when threatened with pathogens, like fungi. Pathogenic fungi, on the other hand, also make use of a variety of transporters and specialized zinc captors to survive these changes. In this review, we sought to explain the mechanisms, grounded in experimental analysis and described to date, utilized by pathogenic fungi to maintain optimal zinc levels.