Which class of antifungal agents has a mechanism that disrupts the fungal cell membrane by targeting ergosterol?

The class of antifungal agents known as polyenes disrupts the fungal cell membrane by targeting ergosterol, a crucial component of fungal cell membranes that is comparable to cholesterol in human cells. The mechanism involves binding to ergosterol, which alters the permeability of the cell membrane, ultimately leading to cell death. By forming pores or channels in the membrane, polyenes cause leakage of essential intracellular contents, contributing to the antifungal effect.

Other classes of antifungals, such as azoles, echinocandins, and allylamines, have different mechanisms of action. Azoles inhibit the synthesis of ergosterol but do not directly disrupt the membrane; rather, they interfere with an enzyme critical for ergosterol production. Echinocandins work by inhibiting the synthesis of glucan in the fungal cell wall, and allylamines block the enzyme squalene epoxidase, also affecting ergosterol synthesis, but again, not by directly targeting ergosterol itself. Thus, polyenes are distinct in their direct interaction with ergosterol in the context of antifungal activity.