Adherence molecules in pathogenic fungi

Pathogenic fungi must attach to human cells in order to gain a foothold for infection and invasion. Epithelial cells in the gastrointestinal, genitourinary, or respiratory tracts express many types of substrates for adhesion, and successful pathogens such as Candida, Aspergillus, and Pneumocystis carinii have developed a diverse array of fungal adhesins.