A novel screen for the detection of chitin acting antifungal compounds.

In the course of our antifungal screening programme, we have devised an efficient screening system for chitin synthesis inhibitors. Considering this as a therapeutic target, the fungal cell wall has a promising unique layer that fulfills the criteria for selective toxicity1^ The major structural cell wall components of many medically important yeasts, filamentous fungi, and dimorphic fungi consist mainly of glucans and chitin2). It is also known that complete depletion of chitin synthesis is lethal to fungi. Thus we have taken a wild type Saccharomyces cerevisiae (strain SS 553) and its chitin synthetase I-