Cilofungin
Encyclopedia
Cilofungin is the first clinically applied member of the Echinocandin
family of antifungal drug
. It was derived from a fungus in the genus Aspergillus
. It accomplishes this by interfering with an invading fungus' ability to synthesize the cell wall (specifically, it inhibits the conversion of lanosterol
to ergosterol
).
Echinocandin
Echinocandins are antifungal drugs that inhibit the synthesis of glucan in the cell wall, probably via noncompetitive inhibition of the enzyme 1,3-β glucan synthase and are thus called penicillin of antifungals . Beta glucans are polymers which, linked in their tens of thousands, make up cell wall...
family of antifungal drug
Antifungal drug
An antifungal medication is a medication used to treat fungal infections such as athlete's foot, ringworm, candidiasis , serious systemic infections such as cryptococcal meningitis, and others...
. It was derived from a fungus in the genus Aspergillus
Aspergillus
Aspergillus is a genus consisting of several hundred mold species found in various climates worldwide. Aspergillus was first catalogued in 1729 by the Italian priest and biologist Pier Antonio Micheli...
. It accomplishes this by interfering with an invading fungus' ability to synthesize the cell wall (specifically, it inhibits the conversion of lanosterol
Lanosterol
Lanosterol is a tetracyclic triterpenoid, which is the compound from which all steroids are derived.-Role in creation of steroids:Elaboration of lanosterol under enzyme catalysis leads to the core structure of steroids. 14-Demethylation of lanosterol by CYP51 eventually yields...
to ergosterol
Ergosterol
Ergosterol is a sterol found in fungi, and named for ergot, a common name for the members of the fungal genus Claviceps from which ergosterol was first isolated. Ergosterol does not occur in plant or animal cells...
).