Metabolic modulation: phosphoglucomutase is a target influencing host recognition.

Herein, this manuscript explores the significance of the phosphoglucomutase (PGM) enzyme in spp., focusing on its role in fungal surface mannoprotein formation. Through expression of the in a strain, we demonstrate restoration of binding to the mannose receptor (MR) and macrophages to wildtype yeast levels in this complemented strain. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS) confirmed reduced mannose content in the yeast strain compared to the wild-type and complemented cDNA-expressing strains. This study underscores fungal PGM function in dolichol glucosyl phosphate biosynthesis, crucial for proper cell wall mannoprotein formation. Furthermore, highlighting the conservation of targetable cysteine residues across fungal pathogens, PGM inhibition maybe a potential therapeutic strategy against a broad spectrum of fungal infections.