title: Compounds active against cell walls of medically important fungi.
abstract: A number of substances that directly or indirectly affect the cell walls of fungi have been identified. Those that actively interfere with the synthesis or degradation of polysaccharide components share the property of being produced by soil microbes as secondary metabolites. Compounds specifically interfering with chitin or beta-glucan synthesis have proven effective in studies of preclinical models of mycoses, though they appear to have a restricted spectrum of coverage. Semisynthetic derivatives of some of the natural products have offered improvements in activity, toxicology, or pharmacokinetic behavior. Compounds which act on the cell wall indirectly or by a secondary mechanism of action, such as the azoles, act against diverse fungi but are usually fungistatic in nature. Overall, these compounds are attractive candidates for further development.
authors.affiliation: Cutter Biological, Berkeley, California 94710.
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Hector
mesh_terms: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000666:Amphotericin B / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000818:Animals; D018943:Anthracyclines; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000187:drug effects; D002686:Chitin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D054714:Echinocandins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005658:Fungi / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005936:Glucans / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D009181:Mycoses / Q000188:drug therapy; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D011741:Pyrimidine Nucleosides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000095643:Pradimicins and Benanomicins
chemical_list: D000617:Aminoglycosides; D000666:Amphotericin B; D018943:Anthracyclines; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000935:Antifungal Agents; D002686:Chitin; D054714:Echinocandins; D005656:Fungal Proteins; D005936:Glucans; D010455:Peptides; D010456:Peptides, Cyclic; D011741:Pyrimidine Nucleosides; C002457:polyoxin; C056805:benanomicin A; D000095643:Pradimicins and Benanomicins; C011634:aculeacin A; C020789:papulacandin B; C011952:nikkomycin; C007572:echinocandin B