Towards New Insights in the Sterol/Amphotericin Nanochannels Formation: A Molecular Dynamic Simulation Study

Amphotericin B (AmB) is a well-known polyene which self-organizes into membrane cell in order to cause the cell death. Its specific action towards fungal cell is not fully understood but was proved to become from sterol composition. The mechanism was shown experimentally to require the formation of stable sterol/polyene couples which could then organize in a nanochannel. This would allow the leakage of ions responsible for the death of fungal cells, only. In this present study, we investigate the arrangement of AmB/sterols in biological membrane using molecular dynamic simulations in order to understand the role of the sterol structure on the antifungal action of the polyene. We show in particular that the nanochannels tend to close up when cell was composed with cholesterol (animal cell) due to strong interaction between amphotericin and sterol. On the other side, with ergosterol (fungal cell) the largest interactions between amphotericin and lipid membrane lead to the appearance of large hole that could favor the important leakage of ions and thus, the fungal cell death. This work appears as a good complement in the extensive studies linked to the understanding of the antifungal molecules in membrane cells.