METTL9 tests Candida's mettle by limiting metal acquisition.

The gut mucosal immune system orchestrates diverse defense mechanisms against fungal pathogens. In this issue of Cell Host & Microbe, Bao and Yang et al.1 demonstrate that intestinal epithelial cells secrete an anti-zincophore protein, METTL9, that limits fungal access to the essential micronutrient zinc, thereby diminishing colonization and growth.