Bacterial cell wall and fungal cell membrane

The bacterial cell wall is a rigid, primarily peptidoglycan-based structure that surrounds the bacterial cell membrane, providing shape, mechanical support, and protection from osmotic stress and environmental threats. It is a key vulnerability exploited by antibiotics; drugs such as β-lactams and glycopeptides inhibit cell wall synthesis, causing cell lysis and death. The chemical structure and components of the cell wall differ significantly between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, impacting drug access and efficacy[9][4][5]. The fungal cell membrane is a phospholipid bilayer containing ergosterol as the major sterol, analogous to cholesterol in mammalian cells. It underlies the fungal cell wall (which is built mainly of chitin and glucans) and is essential for fungal viability. Many antifungal drugs target ergosterol or, in the case of new agents, membrane phospholipids, leading to impaired membrane integrity and cell death. Both the bacterial cell wall and fungal cell membrane represent major therapeutic targets for anti-infective drugs because of their essential roles in microbial survival and their absence or divergent structure in human cells, providing unique selectivity for antimicrobial therapy[6][2][8][4][1]. **Note:** - The entry is technically **incorrect/incomplete** as a molecular target because “Bacterial cell wall / Fungal cell membrane” refers to broad microbial structures, not single, specific, or canonical molecules/targets. For structured pharmaceutical/biological databases, entries should be separated and mapped to more specific and canonical targets (e.g., “Peptidoglycan polymerase” for bacterial cell wall, “Ergosterol” or “β-glucan synthase” for the fungal cell wall/membrane)[4][8][9][6]. - Select single molecular species for each: use "Peptidoglycan" or specific synthesis enzymes (e.g., "Transpeptidase") for bacteria, and "Ergosterol" or "β-glucan synthase" for fungi, depending on drug/target context.

Other names

Bacterial cell wallFungal cell membrane

Inhibition of peptidoglycan synthesis (bacteria)[2][4][9] Binding to cell wall precursors such as lipid II to block cell wall assembly (bacteria)[2] Disruption of membrane integrity through binding to membrane sterols (ergosterol, for classic polyenes) or phospholipids (for new agents, e.g. mandimycin in fungi)[6] Inhibition of β-glucan synthesis (fungal cell wall, echinocandins)[8]