Candida is the most implicated fungal pathogen in the clinical setting. Several factors play important roles in the pathogenesis of Candida spp. Multiple transcriptional circuits, morphological and phenotypic switching, biofilm formation, tissue damaging extracellular hydrolytic enzymes, metabolic flexibility, genome plasticity, adaptation to environmental pH fluctuation, robust nutrient acquisition system, adherence and invasions (mediated by adhesins and invasins), heat shock proteins (HSPs), cytolytic proteins, escape from phagocytosis, evasion from host immune system, synergistic coaggregation with resident microbiota, resistance to antifungal agents, and the ability to efficiently respond to multiple stresses are some of the major pathogenic determinants of Candida species. The existence of multiple connections, in addition to the interactions and associations among all of these factors, are distinctive features that play important roles in the establishment of Candida infections. This review describes all the underlying factors and mechanisms involved in Candida pathogenesis by evaluating pathogenic determinants of Candida species. It reinforces the already available pool of data on the pathogenesis of Candida species by providing a clear and simplified understanding of the most important factors implicated in the pathogenesis of Candida species. The Candida pathogenesis network, an illustration linking all the major determinants of Candida pathogenesis, is also presented. Taken together, they will further improve our current understanding of how these factors modulate virulence and consequent infection(s). Development of new antifungal drugs and better therapeutic approaches to candidiasis can be achieved in the near future with continuing progress in the understanding of the mechanisms of Candida pathogenesis.

念珠菌是临床环境中牵连最多的真菌病原体。几种因素在念珠菌的发病机理中起重要作用。多重转录回路，形态和表型转换，生物膜形成，破坏组织的细胞外水解酶，代谢灵活性，基因组可塑性，适应环境pH波动，强大的营养获取系统，粘附和入侵（由粘附素和入侵素介导），热激蛋白（ HSPs），溶细胞蛋白，从吞噬作用中逃逸，从宿主免疫系统逃逸，与驻留菌群的协同聚集，抗真菌剂的抗性以及有效应对多种压力的能力是念珠菌的主要致病因素种类。除了所有这些因素之间的相互作用和关联以外，还存在多种联系，这是在建立念珠菌感染中起重要作用的独特特征。这篇综述通过评估念珠菌物种的致病决定因素描述了念珠菌发病机理的所有潜在因素和机制。通过提供对念珠菌物种发病机理中涉及的最重要因素的清晰和简化的理解，它加强了有关念珠菌物种发病机理的数据集。该念珠菌病机网络，一个例证连接所有的主要决定因素还介绍了念珠菌的发病机理。两者合计，将进一步提高我们目前对这些因素如何调节毒力和随之而来的感染的理解。随着对念珠菌发病机理的理解的不断进步，可以在不久的将来实现新的抗真菌药的开发和更好的念珠菌病治疗方法。