Response of pathogenic and non-pathogenic yeasts to steroids

Steroids are known to induce pleiotropic drug resistance states in hemiascomycetes, with tremendous potential consequences on human fungal infections. The proteins capable of binding to steroids such as progesterone binding protein (PBP), estradiol binding proteins (ESP) are found in yeasts, however, the well known receptor mediated signaling present in higher eukaryotic cells is absent in yeasts and fungi. Steroids are perceived as stress by yeast cells which triggers general stress response leading to activation of heat shock proteins, cell cycle regulators, MDR transporters, etc. In this article, we review the response of yeast to human steroid hormones which affects its cell growth, morphology and virulence. We discuss that a fairly conserved response to steroids at the level of transcription and translation exists between pathogenic and non-pathogenic yeasts.Article from a special issue on steroids and microorganisms.

Research highlights
► Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida albicans respond to human steroids.
► Steroids triggers stress response in yeast by activating HSPs, MDR and cell cycle regulators, etc.
► Pleiotropic drug response induced in S. cerevisiae by progesterone is only partially conserved in C. albicans.
► Steroids transiently induce MDR pumps causing resistance in otherwise sensitive yeast strains.
► A conserved response to steroids at transcription and translation levels exists between the yeasts.