Secreted aspartyl proteases (SAPs) are important enzymes for fungal pathogenicity, playing a significant role in infection and survival. This article provides insight into how SAPs facilitate the transformation of yeast cells into hyphae and engage in biofilm formation, invasion and degradation of host cells and proteins. SAPs and their isoenzymes are prevalent during fungal infections, making them a potential target for antifungal and antibiofilm therapies. By targeting SAPs, critical stages of fungal pathogenesis such as adhesion, hyphal development, biofilm formation, host invasion and immune evasion can potentially be disrupted. Developing therapies that target SAPs could provide an effective treatment option for a wide range of fungal infections.
Keywords: biofilm; interkingdom; pathogenesis; secreted aspartyl proteases; selective toxicity.
SAPs are enzymes that are important for fungi to cause infections and survive in the host body. This article explains how SAP helps fungi to change their morphology and form a protective layer called a biofilm. SAP also helps fungi invade host cells and break down proteins. Because SAP is present in every stage of fungal infections, it could be a target for new medicines that fight fungal infections and biofilms. By targeting SAP, scientists could stop fungi from adhering to the host, growing into long hyphae, forming biofilms, invading host cells and evading the host immune system. If scientists can develop treatments that target SAP, they may be able to treat a variety of fungal infections more effectively.