Bacterial and fungal cell membrane integrity

Bacterial and fungal cell membrane integrity refers to the maintenance of a functional, selectively permeable lipid bilayer enclosing cells. This integrity is essential for nutrient exchange, signal transduction, growth, pathogenesis, and survival. Disruption of membrane structure or function—by chemical, physical, or immunological means—is a key strategy in antifungal and antibacterial therapy, and many drugs (PHMB, azoles, amphotericin B, echinocandins, and polymyxins) act by compromising membrane stability or biosynthesis. In fungi, membrane homeostasis depends on lipid composition, associated membrane proteins, and their regulatory networks; loss of integrity leads to cell death and loss of pathogenicity. While widely used as a drug target concept, "cell membrane integrity" does not refer to a specific molecular target like a receptor or enzyme but encompasses a range of membrane-associated molecules, processes, and structures essential to cell survival and virulence.

Other names

Cell membrane integrity (bacteria, fungi)Membrane homeostasis (bacteria, fungi)Membrane permeability

Disruption of cell membrane function or integrity (permeabilization, increased fluidity, pore formation, depolarization); Inhibition of membrane lipid biosynthesis (ergosterol, phospholipids, fatty acids); Destabilization of membrane-associated cell wall synthesis; Direct lysis and cell death via increased membrane permeability