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Ergosterol Biosynthesis Inhibitors
Ergosterol (ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3β-ol) is a sterol found in cell membranes of fungus, fungi and protozoa, serving many of the same functions that cholesterol serves in animal cell (biology), cells. Because many fungi and protozoa cannot survive without ergosterol, the enzymes that synthesize it have become important targets for drug discovery. In human nutrition, ergosterol is a provitamin form of ergocalciferol, vitamin D2; exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light causes a chemical reaction that produces ergocalciferol, vitamin D2. Role in fungi Ergosterol (ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3β-ol) is a sterol found in fungi, and named for ergot, the common name of members of the fungal genus ''Claviceps'' from which ergosterol was first isolated. Ergosterol is a component of yeast and other fungus, fungal cell membranes, serving many of the same functions that cholesterol serves in animal cells. Its specificity in higher fungi is thought to be related to the climatic instabilities (highly varying ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sterol
Sterol is an organic compound with formula , whose molecule is derived from that of gonane by replacement of a hydrogen atom in position 3 by a hydroxyl group. It is therefore an alcohol of gonane. More generally, any compounds that contain the gonane structure, additional functional groups, and/or modified ring systems derived from gonane are called steroids. Therefore, sterols are a subgroup of the steroids. They occur naturally in most eukaryotes, including plants, animals, and fungi, and can also be produced by some bacteria (however likely with different functions). The most familiar type of animal sterol is cholesterol, which is vital to cell membrane structure, and functions as a precursor to fat-soluble vitamins and steroid hormones. While technically alcohols, sterols are classified by biochemists as lipids (fats in the broader sense of the term). Types Sterols of plants are called ''phytosterols'' and sterols of animals are called ''zoosterols''. The most importa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
