Reshuffling of Aspergillus fumigatus cell wall components chitin and β-glucan under the influence of caspofungin or nikkomycin Z alone or in combination

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2012 Mar;56(3):1595-8. doi: 10.1128/AAC.05323-11. Epub 2011 Dec 27.

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.

MeSH terms

  • Aminoglycosides / pharmacology*
  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / drug effects*
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / physiology
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / ultrastructure
  • Benzamides / pharmacology
  • Caspofungin
  • Cell Wall / drug effects*
  • Cell Wall / physiology
  • Cell Wall / ultrastructure
  • Chitin / metabolism*
  • Drug Interactions
  • Echinocandins / pharmacology*
  • Hyphae / drug effects
  • Hyphae / physiology
  • Hyphae / ultrastructure
  • Lipopeptides
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Pyrimidine Nucleosides / pharmacology
  • beta-Glucans / metabolism*

Substances

  • Aminoglycosides
  • Antifungal Agents
  • Benzamides
  • Echinocandins
  • Lipopeptides
  • Pyrimidine Nucleosides
  • beta-Glucans
  • Chitin
  • fluphenacur
  • nikkomycin
  • polyoxorim
  • Caspofungin
  • teflubenzuron