Knowra Fungal cell wall Fungal cell wall A structural layer outside a fungal cell membrane, composed mainly of chitin and other polysaccharides. It gives fungal cells shape and mechanical protection.
Chitin : A tough structural polysaccharide made of N-acetylglucosamine units. Chitin forms a load-bearing framework in many fungal walls.
Chitin synthase : A membrane-associated enzyme that polymerizes chitin from activated sugar substrates. It produces chitin chains that are deposited into the growing wall.
Echinocandin : A class of antifungal drugs that inhibits β-1,3-glucan synthesis. These drugs weaken fungal walls by blocking production of a major scaffold polymer.
Bacterial cell wall : A protective bacterial structure made chiefly of peptidoglycan. Unlike fungal walls, bacterial walls rely on peptidoglycan rather than chitin and glucans.
β-Glucan : A glucose polymer whose sugar units are joined by beta glycosidic bonds. Branched β-glucans connect wall components and contribute tensile strength.
β-1,3-glucan synthase : A membrane enzyme complex that synthesizes β-1,3-glucan. Its glucan product forms a major structural scaffold in many fungal walls.
Caspofungin : An echinocandin antifungal drug used to treat invasive fungal infections. It targets wall glucan synthesis, a process absent from human cells.
Plant cell wall : A rigid extracellular layer around plant cells, composed mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin. Its cellulose-based framework differs from the chitin-rich fungal wall.
Mannan : A polysaccharide composed primarily of mannose residues. Mannans often form outer wall layers and carry attached proteins.
Cell wall remodeling : Enzymatic alteration of a cell wall's structure during growth, division, or stress. Fungi loosen and rebuild wall material as their cells expand and bud.
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