Reshuffling of Aspergillus Fumigatus Cell Wall Components Chitin and β-glucan Under the Influence of Caspofungin or Nikkomycin Z Alone or in Combination

Overview

Journal Antimicrob Agents Chemother

Publisher American Society for Microbiology

Specialty Pharmacology

Date 2011 Dec 29

PMID 22203603

Citations 30

Authors

Patricia E B Verwer

M L van Duijn

M Tavakol

Irma A J M Bakker-Woudenberg

Wendy W J van de Sande

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Chitin and β-glucan are major cell wall components of Aspergillus spp. We investigated the antifungal activity of chitin synthesis inhibitors nikkomycin Z, polyoxin D, flufenoxuron, lufenuron, and teflubenzuron, alone and combined with the β-glucan synthesis inhibitor caspofungin. Only nikkomycin Z and caspofungin were found to act synergistically. The nikkomycin Z-induced chitin decrease corresponded with a β-glucan increase, while with the caspofungin-induced β-glucan decrease, an increase in chitin was found. This could explain the synergistic activity of this combination of drugs.

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