Candidiasis are among the fungal infections the most difficult to diagnose
and treat. Research focused on specific fungal components which are absent in the
host, such as the cell wall has lead to a better understanding of Candida albicans
pathogenicity and clinical impact. The cell wall is responsible for antigenic expression
and primary interaction with the host. It is composed mainly of b-glucans, chitin
and mannoproteins, which account for the rigidity of the wall and for the fungal
morphology. Of these components, mannoproteins might carry a “morphogenetic
code” which might modulate the molecular architecture of the cell wall. The features
of specific cell wall proteins as part of building blocks to form this structure is revised,
and the usefulness of monoclonal antibodies obtained against cell wall components
to study those processes, together with their clinical applicability, is [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]