Jan 12, 2022

Jerveratrum-Type Steroidal Alkaloids Inhibit β-1,6-Glucan Biosynthesis in Fungal Cell Walls

Microbiology spectrum
Karen Kubo, Kaori Itto-Nakama, Shinsuke Ohnuki, Yoko Yashiroda, Sheena C Li, Hiromi Kimura, Yumi Kawamura, Yasuhiro Shimamoto, Ken-Ichi Tominaga, Daisuke Yamanaka, Yoshiyuki Adachi, Shinichiro Takashima, Yoichi Noda, Charles Boone, Yoshikazu Ohya
The limited number of available effective agents necessitates the development of new antifungals. We report that jervine, a jerveratrum-type steroidal alkaloid isolated from Veratrum californicum, has antifungal activity. Phenotypic comparisons of cell wall mutants, K1 killer toxin susceptibility testing, and quantification of cell wall components revealed that β-1,6-glucan biosynthesis was significantly inhibited by jervine. Temperature-sensitive mutants defective in essential genes involved in...