ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses some aspects of dermatophyte lipids. K. L. Burdon and T. Akasaka demonstrated the presence of lipids in dermatophytes with the help of various staining techniques. Phospholipids are important structural components of biological membranes forming the lipid bilayer in which proteins are embedded and are included in the structure and maintenance of membrane functions in the cell. In dermatophytes, triacylglycerol (TG) is the major component of neutral lipids; while monoacylglycerol (MG), diacylglycerol, sterols and sterol esters were present in small amounts. The major phospholipids are phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylglycerol, and some unusual lipids. In dermatophytes, TG is the major component of neutral lipids; while MG, diacylglycerol , sterols and sterol esters were present in small amounts. In addition to CDP-base pathway, methylation pathway also plays a role in the synthesis of PC. Catabolism and turnover of phospholipids are essential for membrane adaptation to environmental changes.
