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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Pediatr. 2020 Dec;32(6):780–789. doi: 10.1097/MOP.0000000000000948

Figure 1. Immune pathways associated with chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis.

Figure 1.

Fungal polysaccharides such as β-glucans and α-mannans from Candida are recognized by epithelial and innate immune cells via C-type lectin receptors (CLRs) such as Dectin-1 and Dectin-2, which signal through CARD9 to stimulate cytokine production. The Candida peptide toxin candidalysin also engages epithelial cells via a yet-unknown receptor. IL-6 and IL-23 bind to their receptors IL-6R and IL-23R (which signal through STAT3) to induce Th17 differentiation, a process that requires RORyt. Th17 cells in turn secrete IL-17A and IL-17F that act directly on epithelial cells through the IL-17 receptor complex (comprised of IL17RA and IL17RC subunits), activate downstream adaptor ACT1 (TRAF3IP2), and together with IL-22 lead to epithelial regeneration, production of antimicrobial peptides (e.g., β-defensins, S100A8/S100A9), and secretion of chemokines (e.g., CXCL1, CXCL5) that mediate neutrophil recruitment. Created with BioRender.com.