Exploration of the pathogens Candida albicans and Aspergillus fumigatus secretome using multimodal metabolomics with an emphasis on virulence factors (NMR)

ABSTRACT: Fungal secretome provides insight into pathogen adaptation and interspecies interactions, yet its role in mediating interaction between Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans—both WHO critical-priority pathogens—remains unexplored. Using a combinatory metabolomics approach, this study profiled the secretomes of both species, identifying 176 compounds, including ten A. fumigatus mycotoxins. Exposure to C. albicans secretome altered production of several mycotoxins, notably spirotryprostatin A and sphingofungins B and D, and solid coculture assays revealed a distinct inhibition zone consistent with an antagonistic interaction between the two pathogens. Secretome exposure also shifted purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis pathways in both fungi. Some indole-derived metabolites produced by C. albicans were associated with pneumonia exacerbation. Despite these interactions, both species were able to grow together in the same space. Together, these findings suggest that these fungi can influence each other through the molecules they release and may modulate the disease progression.

INSTRUMENT(S): Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) -

PROVIDER: MTBLS15942 | MetaboLights | 2026-10-07

REPOSITORIES: MetaboLights