Search for new antifungal agent based on finding of biosynthetic pathway of novel glycosphingolipids

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We had found that Zygomycetes species showed resistance to Aureobasidin A, an antifungal agent. A novel family of neutral glycosphingolipids including galactosyl polymer was found in these fungi and the presence of biosynthetic pathway for the novel glycosphingolipids in Zygomycetes was elucidated. These results suggested that any inhibitor of this pathway may be effective for mucormycosis, which is a serious pathogenic disease for humans. We attempted to find any inhibitor of galactosyltransferase in these fungi. However, we failed to clone the galactosyltransferase genes of Rhizopus oryzae though we used animal cells or yeast as the host cells. Furthermore, we attempted to find any inhibitor of galactosyltransferase of Mucor hiemalis microsome but could not find it except alpha-methylglucoside having a weak inhibitory activity. We also tried to clone the gene of ceramide galactosyl transferase of Aspergillus oryzae. But we failed to clone it.