Bacterial and fungal cell membrane (None commonly used; sometimes "BFCM" in specialized literature, but not standardized.)

The bacterial and fungal cell membranes are essential lipid bilayer structures that regulate the transport of molecules, maintain cellular integrity, and play roles in signal transduction and energy metabolism[5][7]. They differ from mammalian cell membranes in composition, with fungal membranes rich in ergosterol and bacterial membranes largely composed of phospholipids and, in Gram-negative bacteria, also an outer membrane with unique lipopolysaccharides[5][7][6]. Both are validated therapeutic targets for antimicrobial agents: drugs that disrupt their structure or biosynthetic pathways typically result in cell death or loss of pathogenicity[2][4][6][8]. However, the term "cell membrane" refers collectively to a structural feature, not a specific protein, enzyme, or molecular entity, therefore it is ambiguous and should be replaced with a specific molecule, biosynthetic pathway, or membrane protein where possible for structured target databases[2][4][6].

Other names

Fungal cell membraneBacterial cell membraneMicrobial cell membraneCytoplasmic membrane (for bacteria)Plasma membrane (for fungi)

Fungal membrane-targeting drugs: Bind to ergosterol, disrupting membrane integrity and causing cell death (polyenes like Amphotericin B and nystatin)[4][6][8] Inhibit ergosterol biosynthesis (azoles); loss of membrane function[2][6] Inhibit glucan synthesis in membrane/wall interface (echinocandins)[2][4] Target phospholipid composition (mandimycin)[8] Bacterial membrane-targeting drugs: Disrupt ionic gradients and membrane permeability (polymyxins, daptomycin)