Two main topics concerning the biochemistry of the surface structure of pathogenic fungal cells were reviewed; cell wall and plasma membrane. Based on the analytical data of ultrastructure and chemical composition for purified cell walls from
Epidermophyton floccosum and
Trichophyton mentagrophytes, a hypothetical model was proposed for the chemical architecture of the cell wall. A specific surface structure, “rodlets” was partially purified from
Aspergillus niger and biochemically characterized, which was found to be a glycopeptide containing hydrophobic amino acid residues. The plasma membrane was investigated by biophysical techniques from the viewpoint of interaction with polyene antibiotics, which are known to bind specifically to ergosterol molecules. Moreover, the possible implication of physical state of the plasma membrane was discussed for the dimorphic transformation of
Candida albicans.
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