Fungal pathogens cause life-threatening diseases in humans, and the increasing prevalence of these diseases emphasizes the need for new targets for therapeutic intervention. Nutrient acquisition during infection is a promising target, and recent studies highlight the contributions of endomembrane trafficking, mitochondria, and vacuoles in the sensing and acquisition of heme by fungi. These studies have been facilitated by genetically encoded biosensors and other tools to quantitate heme in subcellular compartments and to investigate the dynamics of trafficking in living cells. In particular, the applications of biosensors in fungi have been extended beyond the detection of metabolites, cofactors, pH, and redox status to include the detection of heme. Here, we focus on studies that make use of biosensors to examine mechanisms of heme uptake and degradation, with guidance from the model fungus Saccharomyces cerevisiae and an emphasis on the pathogenic fungi Candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans that threaten human health. These studies emphasize a role for endocytosis in heme uptake, and highlight membrane contact sites involving mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum and vacuoles as mediators of intracellular iron and heme trafficking.

真菌病原体会导致人类罹患危及生命的疾病，这些疾病的患病率不断上升，强调需要寻找新的治疗干预目标。感染过程中营养物质的获取是一个有前途的目标，最近的研究强调了内膜运输、线粒体和液泡在真菌感知和获取血红素中的贡献。基因编码的生物传感器和其他工具促进了这些研究，以定量亚细胞区室中的血红素并研究活细胞运输的动态。特别是，生物传感器在真菌中的应用已经扩展到代谢物、辅因子、pH 和氧化还原状态的检测之外，还包括血红素的检测。在这里，我们重点研究利用生物传感器来检查血红素摄取和降解机制，以模式真菌酿酒酵母为指导，并重点关注威胁人类健康的致病真菌白色念珠菌和新型隐球菌。这些研究强调了内吞作用在血红素摄取中的作用，并强调了涉及线粒体、内质网和液泡的膜接触位点作为细胞内铁和血红素运输的介质。