Investigating the effects of short-chain fatty acids on fungal pathogen-host interactions

This thesis investigated the effects of the dietary metabolites short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), on the mechanisms utilised by fungal pathogen C. albicans to cause infection. The SCFA crotonate impacts fungal metabolism and inhibits an important virulence (disease producing power) trait of C. albicans through an inhibition of specific gene expression, improving macrophage immune cell survival in fungal infection. This work also shows SCFAs increase the ability of antifungal drug fluconazole to prevent the growth of C. albicans.