Vitamin Biosynthesis as an Antifungal Target
The large increase in the population of immunosuppressed patients, coupled with the limited efficacy of existing antifungals and rising resistance toward them, have dramatically highlighted the need to develop novel drugs for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. An attractive possibility is...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Fungi |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/4/2/72 |
| _version_ | 1818154749425352704 |
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| author | Zohar Meir Nir Osherov |
| author_facet | Zohar Meir Nir Osherov |
| author_sort | Zohar Meir |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The large increase in the population of immunosuppressed patients, coupled with the limited efficacy of existing antifungals and rising resistance toward them, have dramatically highlighted the need to develop novel drugs for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. An attractive possibility is the identification of possible drug targets within essential fungal metabolic pathways not shared with humans. Here, we review the vitamin biosynthetic pathways (vitamins A–E, K) as candidates for the development of antifungals. We present a set of ranking criteria that identify the vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B5 (pantothenic acid), and B9 (folate) biosynthesis pathways as being particularly rich in new antifungal targets. We propose that recent scientific advances in the fields of drug design and fungal genomics have developed sufficiently to merit a renewed look at these pathways as promising sources for the development of novel classes of antifungals. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T14:31:27Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-147b1dc3d1774150843061397b76bc26 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2309-608X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T14:31:27Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Fungi |
| spelling | doaj.art-147b1dc3d1774150843061397b76bc262022-12-22T01:02:24ZengMDPI AGJournal of Fungi2309-608X2018-06-01427210.3390/jof4020072jof4020072Vitamin Biosynthesis as an Antifungal TargetZohar Meir0Nir Osherov1Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv 69978, IsraelDepartment of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Ramat-Aviv, Tel-Aviv 69978, IsraelThe large increase in the population of immunosuppressed patients, coupled with the limited efficacy of existing antifungals and rising resistance toward them, have dramatically highlighted the need to develop novel drugs for the treatment of invasive fungal infections. An attractive possibility is the identification of possible drug targets within essential fungal metabolic pathways not shared with humans. Here, we review the vitamin biosynthetic pathways (vitamins A–E, K) as candidates for the development of antifungals. We present a set of ranking criteria that identify the vitamin B2 (riboflavin), B5 (pantothenic acid), and B9 (folate) biosynthesis pathways as being particularly rich in new antifungal targets. We propose that recent scientific advances in the fields of drug design and fungal genomics have developed sufficiently to merit a renewed look at these pathways as promising sources for the development of novel classes of antifungals.http://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/4/2/72antifungalsfungal vitamin metabolismdrug targetessential genes |
| spellingShingle | Zohar Meir Nir Osherov Vitamin Biosynthesis as an Antifungal Target Journal of Fungi antifungals fungal vitamin metabolism drug target essential genes |
| title | Vitamin Biosynthesis as an Antifungal Target |
| title_full | Vitamin Biosynthesis as an Antifungal Target |
| title_fullStr | Vitamin Biosynthesis as an Antifungal Target |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vitamin Biosynthesis as an Antifungal Target |
| title_short | Vitamin Biosynthesis as an Antifungal Target |
| title_sort | vitamin biosynthesis as an antifungal target |
| topic | antifungals fungal vitamin metabolism drug target essential genes |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2309-608X/4/2/72 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT zoharmeir vitaminbiosynthesisasanantifungaltarget AT nirosherov vitaminbiosynthesisasanantifungaltarget |