Variable recognition of Candida albicans strains by TLR4 and lectin recognition receptors

The role of TLR4 in the recognition of Candida albicans has been brought into question. In order to assess whether discrepancies in the literature are due to differences in the recognition of various C. albicans strains, we selected 14 different isolates of C. albicans to evaluate their recognition by TLR4 and lectin receptors. We demonstrate that recognition of cell wall structures by lectin receptors is a consistent characteristic independent of the C. albicans strain selected, while recognition by TLR4 is a more variable feature. These data were corroborated by the increased susceptibility of TLR4-/- mice to a C. albicans strain recognized by TLR4, but not to a strain in which recognition has been shown to be independent of this receptor. This suggests a heavier reliance of in vivo antifungal host defense on lectin receptors than on TLRs, a notion compatible with the clinical picture in individuals deficient in MyD88/TLRs or dectin-1/CARD9.