Enzyme involved in ergosterol synthesis called squalence epoxidase .

ditruption of sterol
biosynthesis causes lysis of target cell. Amphotericin B is an antifungal agent that is usedto
treat more serious infection,

The lipid bilayer of fungal plasma membrane contains protein that function in solute
transport, signal transduction, cell wall synthesis

Integral membrane protein are ppermanent residents of phospholipid bilayer. These include
transmembrane protein or integral polytopic protein , that function in tranporting ions and
molecules through the plasma membrane. Integral monotopic protein ar embedded in only
one side of the membrane

ion transport function catalysed by transmembrane protein are critical for understanding
fungal physiology. The plasma membrane act as a semipermeable barrier to the diffusion of
many ions and small molecules. For example , proton cannot diffuse freely through the
membrane. They are extruded from cytoplasm by an enzyme or ion pump .Proton extrusion is
an example of primary active transport.. this creates an electrochemical gradient with a
reduction inph at the surface of the fungal cell and a negative voltage inside the cell.this
voltage or membrane potential can be measured with a microelectrode iserted through the cell
wall and underlying membrane.

The electrochemical gradien established by proton ATPase activity is vital to the absorptive
feeding mechanism charecteristic of the fungi, beause it power the import of small molecules
including sugar an amino acid. This cellular physiological mechanism is very elegant. The
ptroton ATPase move proton against their concentration gradient, so that protons will flow
into the cytoplasm as ssiin as a diffusion path is opened. As a hypha digests protein rich
food, a localised pool of amino acid accumulates arround cell. Because biomolecules ,
including amino acid are at far higher concentration inside the cytoplasm than t surrounding
environment, their import will not occur passively by diffusion, even if physical pathways
through the membrane ar available. The concentration gradient is in the wrong direction.
Transmembrane protein called carrier proteins solve this problem by harnessing the influx of
proton to movement of amino acid. Carrier protein function by undergoing a specific
conformational change in response to the fluxof each proton that shuffles an amino acid
molecule from the exterior of the cell into ist cytoplasm. The amino a cid is captured and then
released by the carrier protein. This is an example of secondary active tranport.

The carrier protein that connduct couple proton influx to the import of pottasium ions and
sugars. Antiporters couple the passive influxof a proton, or another ion , to theexport of a
different ion or a molecule. Na+ / H + antiporters have been charecterised in yeast and
filamentous fungi. The sprotein export one sodium ion for eachproton that passes into the cell
are important in mantaining ionic homeostasis and determine salt tolerance in saline
envitonments. Carrier protein can also provide aqueous pathways for the faciliated diffuion of
ions and molecules that are more diluted within the cell, but cannot diffuse through the
hydrophopic interir of plasma membrane. Ion channels are another subset oof integral
membrane proteins that control ion import and export

Some in channels act as gates that open and close in responce to change in membrane
potential or to mechanical signal including stretching of membrane. Calsium channels
regulate the concentration of calcium ions in the cytplasm. Calcium ismantained at very low
levels in the cell, but bursts in concentraton caused by channel opening may serve as
important signal regulating cellular development. The concerted action of all the transport
proteins determines composition of the cytoplasm, the foof suplly for the mitochondria, the
export of waste materialsand exclusion of environmental toxin.