Fig. 1: Deciphering the complex and dynamic molecular processes that orchestrate Candida–epithelial interactions.

C. albicans, C. glabrata, C. parapsilosis and C. tropicalis exhibit distinct pathogenicity patterns with marked species-specific transcriptional reprogramming during infection of vaginal epithelial cells. On the contrary, host cells exhibit a homogeneous response to all Candida species at the early stages of infection (3 h) involving the induction of mitochondrial signalling and a protective type I interferon response. At the later stages of infection (12–24 h), the transcriptional response of the host diverges in a species-dependent manner. In C. albicans, this divergence is primarily driven by the extent of epithelial damage elicited by the toxin candidalysin.