Table 1.

Summary of CA genetic determinants, host factors, and environmental factors that modulate CA GI colonization and dissemination in the mammalian host.

CA genetic determinants
	CA GI colonization phenotype	CA GI dissemination phenotype
Morphology	CA yeast form preference in germ free mice.	CA hyphal locked mutants show decreased virulence.
GUT Morphology	Specialized CA morphology that confers long-term GI fitness advantage.	Unknown.
Candidalysin	CA mutants lacking candialys in have a colonization deficit in oral candidiasis model. Unknown phenotype in lower GI tract models.	Unknown.
Host Factors
Gut Microbiome	Commensal anaerobic bacteria promote CA colonization resistance in mice. Lactobacillus spp. have been shown to decrease CA GI colonization levels in mice and humans.	Commensal anaerobic bacteria probiotic therapy reduces CA dissemination in immunocompromised mice.
Innate Immune Effector
Neutrophils	No effect on CA GI colonization.	Critical for preventing CA GI dissemination.
Lymphocytes	No effect on CA GI colonization.	No effect on CA GI dissemination.
Macrophages	No effect on CA GI colonization.	No effect on CA GI dissemination.
NK cells	No effect on CA GI colonization.	No effect on CA GI dissemination.
Pattern Recognition Receptors
Dectin-1	No effect on CA GI colonization.	Critical for CA invasive disease phenotype.
TLR2/4	Modulates CA GI colonization.	Unknown.
Environmental Factors
Medications
Antibiotics	Antibiotics effective in depleting commensal anaerobic gut microbiota promote CA GI colonization.	Increased GI CA burden resulting from antibiotics is associated with increased CA dissemination from the gut.
Cancer chemotherapy	Cancer chemotherapy induces changes in gut microbiota, but effects on CA GI colonization are unknown.	Neutropenia and GI epithelial damage secondary to many cancer chemotherapies promote CA dissemination from the gut.
Diet	“Purified” mouse diets (which include corn syrup, sucrose, and soybean oil) promote CA GI colonization in mice, in the absence of antibiotics.	Unknown.