Cited by 5Antifungal resistance and susceptibilityFungal Infections and StudiesNail Diseases and Treatments

The fungal pathogen Candida auris exposes chitin to trigger IFNγ and persist in hair follicles

Merrill, Eric Dean, Prudent, Victoria, Basso, Pauline, Rapp, Emilie, Moghadam, Parna, Rodriguez, Abram, Hung, Ethan, Hurabielle, Charlotte +11 more·2026·Science

Abstract

Candida auris is a multidrug-resistant fungus of major public health concern whose mechanisms for persistence on skin, a major risk factor for deadly outbreaks, remain unclear. In this study, we compared skin colonization by C. auris versus C. albicans to illuminate distinct fungal-immune interactions in mice. C. auris exhibited enhanced skin persistence, hair follicle tropism, and direct hair binding. Whereas C. albicans triggered a type 3/17–skewed sterilizing antifungal immune response, C. auris triggered a type 1 interferon-γ (IFNγ)–driven response directed toward hair follicles. IFNγ enhanced C. auris colonization by signaling to keratinocytes and repressing epithelial antifungal defense programs. Genetic and biochemical approaches demonstrated that, in response to cues associated with the skin, C. auris increases cell wall chitin exposure, triggering type 1 immunity and promoting fungal persistence.

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Crossref · 10.1126/science.adu6688

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65 of 65 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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Authors
Merrill, E. D., Prudent, V., Basso, P., Rapp, E., Moghadam, P., Rodriguez, A., Hung, E., Hurabielle, C., Cheng, J., Cho, R. J., Abegaze, B., Buck, A., Pyper, K., Veinbachs, A., Wells, E. K. C., Scharschmidt, T. C., Rosenblum, M. D., Molofsky, A. B., & Noble, S. M.
Affiliations
  • San Francisco VA Medical Center (US)
  • University of California, San Francisco (US)
Corresponding author
  • Merrill, Eric Dean
  • Prudent, Victoria
  • Basso, Pauline
  • Molofsky, Ari B.
  • Noble, Suzanne M.
Venue
Science
Published
2026-08-06
Volume
393
Issue
6811
Pages
eadu6688-eadu6688
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W7196941514
Cited by
5
References
65
Citations by year
2026: 5
FWCI
23.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (T32AR007175-44, T32AR079068, R01AI180438, R01AR084863, R01NS126765, R21AI171789)
  • Dermatology Foundation Career Development Award EDM
  • Dermatology Foundation Dermatology Investigator Research Fellowship EDM
  • Grunfeld Scholar Award VAMC
  • Merit Review Award from the Veterans Health Administration Office of Research and Development
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › Antifungal resistance and susceptibility
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Fungal Infections and Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Nail Diseases and Treatments
Keywords
Candida auris, Candida albicans, interferon-gamma, hair follicle, skin colonization, fungal persistence, keratinocytes, antifungal immunity, type 1 immune response, type 3 immunity, fungal cell wall, multidrug-resistant fungi
MeSH terms
Candida auris, Animals, Candida albicans, Cell Wall, Chitin, Female, Interferon-gamma, Male, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Keratinocytes, Hair Follicle, Mice

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