Although fungi have always been with us as commensals and pathogens, fungal infections have been increasing in frequency over the past few decades. There is a growing body of literature describing the involvement of carbohydrate groups in various aspects of fungal disease. Carbohydrates comprising the cell wall or capsule, or as a component of glycoproteins, are the fungal cell surface entities most likely to be exposed to the surrounding environment. Thus, the fungus-host interaction is likely to involve carbohydrates before DNA, RNA, or even protein. The interaction between fungal and host cells is also complex, and early studies using whole cells or crude cell fractions often produced seemingly conflicting results. What was needed, and what has been developing, is the ability to identify specific glycan structures and determine how they interact with immune system components. Carbohydrate analysis is complicated by the complexity of glycan structures and by the challenges of separating and detecting carbohydrates experimentally. Advances in carbohydrate chemistry have enabled us to move from the foundation of composition analysis to more rapid characterization of specific structures. This, in turn, will lead to a greater understanding of how fungi coexist with their hosts as commensals or exist in conflict as pathogens.

中文翻译：

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白色念珠菌和其他致病真菌的表面聚糖：生理作用，临床用途和实验挑战。

尽管真菌一直是我们的共鸣和病原体，但在过去的几十年中，真菌感染的频率一直在增加。越来越多的文献描述了碳水化合物在真菌疾病各个方面的参与。包含细胞壁或细胞膜或糖蛋白成分的碳水化合物是最可能暴露于周围环境的真菌细胞表面实体。因此，真菌与宿主的相互作用很可能先于碳水化合物，而先于DNA，RNA甚至蛋白质。真菌与宿主细胞之间的相互作用也很复杂，使用全细胞或粗细胞级分的早期研究通常会产生看似矛盾的结果。需要什么，正在发展什么，是识别特定聚糖结构并确定它们如何与免疫系统组件相互作用的能力。碳水化合物分析因聚糖结构的复杂性以及实验中分离和检测碳水化合物的挑战而变得复杂。碳水化合物化学的进步使我们能够从成分分析的基础转向特定结构的更快速表征。反过来，这将导致人们对真菌与宿主如何共存或作为病原体在冲突中的存在有更深入的了解。碳水化合物化学的进步使我们能够从成分分析的基础转向特定结构的更快速表征。反过来，这将导致人们对真菌与宿主如何共存或作为病原体在冲突中的存在有更深入的了解。碳水化合物化学的进步使我们能够从成分分析的基础转向特定结构的更快速表征。反过来，这将导致人们对真菌与宿主如何共存或作为病原体在冲突中的存在有更深入的了解。