Metabolite

Fungus

Role in pathogenesis

β-(1,3)-glucan

Paracoccidioides brasiliensis Blastomyces dermatitidis Histoplasma capsulatum

Protection the fungi against digestive enzymes of the host phagocytes

Mannitol

Cryptococcus neoformans

Protection the fungi against oxidative killing by host phagocytes

Pullulan

Aureobasidium pullulans

Mediating adhesion and attachment on host cells

Estrogen-binding proteins

Coccidioides immitis

Accelerate spherule maturation and endospore release

Hem-binding proteins

Candida albicans

Enabling the fungus to utilize hemin and hemoglobin as iron sources.

Agglutinin-like sequence (Als) proteins

C. albicans

Mediating adhesion on host cells

Farnesol

C. albicans

Affect host immunity

WI-1 protein

Blastomyces dermatitidis

Mediating adhesion on macrophages

Glycoprotein (gp4)

P. brasiliensis

Mediating attachment on macrophages

Glucuronoxylomannan (GXM)

C. neoformans Trichosporon beigelii

Immunosuppressive agent