Candida albicans is an opportunistic human fungal pathogen that belongs to the
Saccharomycetaceae family of ascomycota fungi. C. albicans is responsible for local and systemic
infections, mainly in immunocompromised patients. Inside the host, it has the ability to form biofilms,
to adapt to different environmental pressures and to switch between yeast and filamentous forms. The
molecular mechanisms behind dimorphic transition in C. albicans and its relation to pathogenesis are
scientific highlights, and many efforts have been done to understand and identify key regulators in this
process. In the present chapter, we review many important regulators of yeast-to-hypha transition in C.
albicans, including transcription factors, signaling mediated by cAMP and MAPK pathways, pH
dependent morphological transitions and the role of important growth regulators such as polyamines.
Even so information on new molecules is still needed to fully understand the mechanisms governing
dimorphism in C. albicans.
Keywords: Candida albicans, dimorphism, morphogenesis, mycelium yeast, differentiation,
morphogenesis, pathogenicity, MAP kinase, cAMP, PKA, pH effect.
