Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (555 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
A steroid occurring in fungi. Irradiation with ultraviolet rays results in formation of ergocalciferol (vitamin D2).
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Provitamin D 2; Pro-Vitamin D2; D2, Pro-Vitamin; Pro Vitamin D2; Lumisterol.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Cholestenes
- Narrower topics
- Withanolides
Related concepts
- Fungi
- Ultraviolet Rays
- Ergocalciferol
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 4,265 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Ergosterol” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 1,110 of them (26.0%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 1,522 records.
Reviews account for 219 records (5.1%) and meta-analyses for 2. Randomized controlled trials number 2 (0.0%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 828 |
| 2000-2009 | 805 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,522 |
| 2020 onward | 1,110 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 219 | 5.1% |
| Meta-analyses | 2 | 0.0% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 2 | 0.0% |
Method: PubMed query "Ergosterol"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in drugs and chemicals
Studies of a chemical or drug can answer very different questions: what it is and how it behaves in cells and animals, how the body handles it, and whether it changes outcomes in people. Laboratory and animal findings often do not carry over to patients, and observational studies of exposures are confounded by who uses a substance and why. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use, avoid, start or stop any substance or medicine; talk to a qualified clinician or pharmacist about your own situation. Check the dose, the species, the comparison group and whether a patient-relevant outcome was measured.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regulation of Ergosterol Biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae | 2020 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 341 | cc by PMID 32679672 · DOI · PMC7397035 |
| Recent progress in the study of the interactions of amphotericin B with cholesterol and ergosterol in lipid environments | 2014 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 130 | cc by PMID 25173562 · DOI · PMC4212203 |
| A phosphorylated transcription factor regulates sterol biosynthesis in Fusarium graminearum | 2019 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 101 | cc by PMID 30874562 · DOI · PMC6420630 |
| Orpinolide disrupts a leukemic dependency on cholesterol transport by inhibiting OSBP | 2025 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 17 | cc by PMID 38907113 · DOI · PMC11782089 |
Regulation of Ergosterol Biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Ergosterol is an essential component of fungal cell membranes that determines the fluidity, permeability and activity of membrane-associated proteins.
- Closing excerpt
- The study of sterol metabolism and its regulation is highly relevant due to its wide applications in antifungal treatments, as well as in food and pharmaceutical industries.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (208 words)
Ergosterol is an essential component of fungal cell membranes that determines the fluidity, permeability and activity of membrane-associated proteins. Ergosterol biosynthesis is a complex and highly energy-consuming pathway that involves the participation of many enzymes. Deficiencies in sterol biosynthesis cause pleiotropic defects that limit cellular proliferation and adaptation to stress. Thereby, fungal ergosterol levels are tightly controlled by the bioavailability of particular metabolites (e.g., sterols, oxygen and iron) and environmental conditions. The regulation of ergosterol synthesis is achieved by overlapping mechanisms that include transcriptional expression, feedback inhibition of enzymes and changes in their subcellular localization. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the sterol regulatory element (SRE)-binding proteins Upc2 and Ecm22, the heme-binding protein Hap1 and the repressor factors Rox1 and Mot3 coordinate ergosterol biosynthesis (ERG) gene expression. Here, we summarize the sterol biosynthesis, transport and detoxification systems of S. cerevisiae, as well as its adaptive response to sterol depletion, low oxygen, hyperosmotic stress and iron deficiency. Because of the large number of ERG genes and the crosstalk between different environmental signals and pathways, many aspects of ergosterol regulation are still unknown. The study of sterol metabolism and its regulation is highly relevant due to its wide applications in antifungal treatments, as well as in food and pharmaceutical industries.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 32679672 · DOI · PMC7397035
Recent progress in the study of the interactions of amphotericin B with cholesterol and ergosterol in lipid environments [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- In the past decade substantial progress has been made in understanding the organization and biological activity of amphotericin B (AmB) in the presence of sterols in lipid environments.
- Closing excerpt
- Liposomal AmB formulations and drug delivery are intentionally omitted, because several reviews dedicated to this subject are already available.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (109 words)
In the past decade substantial progress has been made in understanding the organization and biological activity of amphotericin B (AmB) in the presence of sterols in lipid environments. This review concentrates mainly on interactions of AmB with lipids and sterols, AmB channel formation in membranes, AmB aggregation, AmB modifications important for understanding its biological activity, and AmB models explaining its mechanism of action. Most of the reviewed studies concern monolayers at the water-gas interface, monolayers deposited on a solid substrate by use of the Langmuir-Blodgett technique, micelles, vesicles, and multi-bilayers. Liposomal AmB formulations and drug delivery are intentionally omitted, because several reviews dedicated to this subject are already available.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 25173562 · DOI · PMC4212203
A phosphorylated transcription factor regulates sterol biosynthesis in Fusarium graminearum [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Sterol biosynthesis is controlled by transcription factor SREBP in many eukaryotes.
- Closing excerpt
- Additionally, FgSR controls virulence mainly via modulating deoxynivalenol biosynthesis and responses to phytoalexin.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (121 words)
Sterol biosynthesis is controlled by transcription factor SREBP in many eukaryotes. Here, we show that SREBP orthologs are not involved in the regulation of sterol biosynthesis in Fusarium graminearum, a fungal pathogen of cereal crops worldwide. Instead, sterol production is controlled in this organism by a different transcription factor, FgSR, that forms a homodimer and binds to a 16-bp cis-element of its target gene promoters containing two conserved CGAA repeat sequences. FgSR is phosphorylated by the MAP kinase FgHog1, and the phosphorylated FgSR interacts with the chromatin remodeling complex SWI/SNF at the target genes, leading to enhanced transcription. Interestingly, FgSR orthologs exist only in Sordariomycetes and Leotiomycetes fungi. Additionally, FgSR controls virulence mainly via modulating deoxynivalenol biosynthesis and responses to phytoalexin.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 30874562 · DOI · PMC6420630
Orpinolide disrupts a leukemic dependency on cholesterol transport by inhibiting OSBP [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Metabolic alterations in cancer precipitate in associated dependencies that can be therapeutically exploited.
- Closing excerpt
- Collectively, these data reaffirm sterol transport as a therapeutically actionable dependency in leukemia and motivate ensuing translational investigation via the probe-like compound orpinolide.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (117 words)
Metabolic alterations in cancer precipitate in associated dependencies that can be therapeutically exploited. To meet this goal, natural product-inspired small molecules can provide a resource of invaluable chemotypes. Here, we identify orpinolide, a synthetic withanolide analog with pronounced antileukemic properties, via orthogonal chemical screening. Through multiomics profiling and genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 screens, we identify that orpinolide disrupts Golgi homeostasis via a mechanism that requires active phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate signaling at the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi membrane interface. Thermal proteome profiling and genetic validation studies reveal the oxysterol-binding protein OSBP as the direct and phenotypically relevant target of orpinolide. Collectively, these data reaffirm sterol transport as a therapeutically actionable dependency in leukemia and motivate ensuing translational investigation via the probe-like compound orpinolide.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 38907113 · DOI · PMC11782089
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Cytochrome P450 enzymes in the fungal kingdom [5]
- Research article Natural withanolides: an overview [6]
- Research article Molecular insight in the multifunctional activities of Withaferin A [7]
- Research article Cloning of the late genes in the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae--a review [8]
- Research article Photoprotective Properties of Vitamin D and Lumisterol Hydroxyderivatives [9]
- Research article The ergosterol biosynthesis pathway, transporter genes, and azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus [10]
References
- Jordá T, Puig S. Regulation of Ergosterol Biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. . 2020. PMID 32679672 · DOI · PMC7397035
- Kamiński DM. Recent progress in the study of the interactions of amphotericin B with cholesterol and ergosterol in lipid environments. . 2014. PMID 25173562 · DOI · PMC4212203
- Liu Z, Jian Y, Chen Y, Kistler HC, He P, Ma Z, et al.. A phosphorylated transcription factor regulates sterol biosynthesis in Fusarium graminearum. . 2019. PMID 30874562 · DOI · PMC6420630
- Cigler M, Imrichova H, Frommelt F, Caramelle L, Depta L, Rukavina A, et al.. Orpinolide disrupts a leukemic dependency on cholesterol transport by inhibiting OSBP. . 2025. PMID 38907113 · DOI · PMC11782089
- Crešnar B, Petrič S. Cytochrome P450 enzymes in the fungal kingdom. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2011. PMID 20619366 · DOI
- Chen LX, He H, Qiu F. Natural withanolides: an overview. Nat Prod Rep. 2011. PMID 21344104 · DOI
- Vanden Berghe W, Sabbe L, Kaileh M, Haegeman G, Heyninck K. Molecular insight in the multifunctional activities of Withaferin A. Biochem Pharmacol. 2012. PMID 22981382 · DOI
- Lees ND, Skaggs B, Kirsch DR, Bard M. Cloning of the late genes in the ergosterol biosynthetic pathway of Saccharomyces cerevisiae--a review. Lipids. 1995. PMID 7791529 · DOI
- Slominski AT, Chaiprasongsuk A, Janjetovic Z, Kim TK, Stefan J, Slominski RM, et al.. Photoprotective Properties of Vitamin D and Lumisterol Hydroxyderivatives. Cell Biochem Biophys. 2020. PMID 32441029 · DOI · PMC7347247
- Ferreira ME, Colombo AL, Paulsen I, Ren Q, Wortman J, Huang J, et al.. The ergosterol biosynthesis pathway, transporter genes, and azole resistance in Aspergillus fumigatus. Med Mycol. 2005. PMID 16110826 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.