| Summary: | The sensing and efficient utilization of environmental nutrients are critical for the survival of microorganisms in environments where nutrients are limited, such as within mammalian hosts. <i>Candida albicans</i> is a common member of the human microbiota as well as an opportunistic fungal pathogen. The amide derivative sugar N-acetlyglucosamine (GlcNAc) is an important signaling molecule for <i>C. albicans</i> that could be a major nutrient source for this fungus in host settings. In this article, we review progress made over the past two decades on GlcNAc utilization, sensing, and functions in <i>C. albicans</i> and its related fungal species. GlcNAc sensing and catabolic pathways have been intensively studied in <i>C. albicans</i>. The <i>C. albicans</i> protein Ngt1 represents the first identified GlcNAc-specific transporter in eukaryotic organisms. In <i>C. albicans</i>, GlcNAc not only induces morphological transitions including the yeast to hyphal transition and the white to opaque phenotypic switch, but it also promotes fungal cell death. The Ras-cAMP/PKA signaling pathway plays critical roles in regulating these processes. Given the importance of GlcNAc sensing and utilization in <i>C. albicans</i>, targeting GlcNAc associated pathways and key pathway components could be promising in the development of new antifungal strategies.
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