Lipid bilayer of cell membrane (bacterial, fungal, viral envelope)

The **lipid bilayer** is a universal, dynamic structure forming the fundamental permeability barrier of most biological membranes, including those of bacteria, fungi, and the viral envelopes of many pathogenic viruses[5][6][7]. It is composed mainly of amphipathic phospholipids with hydrophilic heads and hydrophobic tails, forming a double-layered sheet in which the tails face inward, away from water, and the heads face outward[5][7]. This bilayer is fluid, self-sealing, and critical for compartmentalization, homeostasis, and the function of embedded membrane proteins[5][7][3]. In **bacterial and fungal cell membranes**, the lipid bilayer provides a barrier to environmental insults and an anchor for proteins that mediate transport, signaling, and cell wall synthesis[1][5][7]. Many antibiotics (e.g., polymyxins, daptomycin, amphotericin B) target or disrupt these bilayers to compromise microbial viability. In **viral envelopes**, the lipid bilayer is derived from the host cell during budding and is studded with viral proteins (such as glycoproteins, spike proteins) essential for viral attachment, entry, and immune evasion[2][6][8]. Antiviral drugs or biologics may target these processes by inhibiting membrane fusion or disrupting the envelope. Limitations: - The **lipid bilayer itself is not a conventional "therapeutic target"** like a protein receptor or enzyme; drugs typically interact with the overall membrane structure, not a discrete molecular target as strictly defined in pharmacology[7][5]. - The query combines several classes ("bacterial/fungal membranes" and "viral envelopes") under one entry; these have important but distinct compositional and functional differences[5][6]. - Most drugs target the **functions or integrity** of these bilayers, not a unique, druggable molecular entity. For most structured biomedical databases, this entry would not fit as a **canonical molecular target** and is best catalogued as a **membrane system or structural feature** rather than a precise drug target.

Other names

phospholipid bilayerbiological membranecell membrane lipid bilayerviral envelope lipid bilayer

Disruption of bilayer integrity (detergent-like action or pore formation) - Disruption of membrane potential - Fusion inhibition (for antiviral drugs)