Evolutionary choice between cholesterol and ergosterol

Abstract

Sterol biosynthesis has evolved early in the history of eukaryotes. In most animals, as well as in primitive fungi, the main sterol is cholesterol. During the process of evolution, fungi acquired the ability to synthesize ergosterol. The pathway of its biosynthesis is more complex than the one of cholesterol biosynthesis. However, the evolutionary choice of most fungi was ergosterol, and the reason for this choice is still debated. In the majority of the works on this issue, the choice of most fungi is associated with the transition to life on land, and, consequently, the danger of cell dehydration. In our review we oppose this point of view. Probably, compared to cholesterol, ergosterol has more pronounced antioxidant properties. Indeed, the presence of three double bonds in the structure of the ergostеrol molecule, as compared to one in cholesterol, relatively increases the likelihood of interaction with reactive oxygen species. Perhaps, the transition to life on land required additional antioxidant protection. Due to the aforementioned structural differences, the molecule of cholesterol is apparently more flexible than that of ergosterol. Experimental data indicate that this feature provides greater membrane flexibility as compared to fungal membranes, as well as a greater ability to compensate for disturbances in the packing of membrane phospholipids. Presumably, for animal cells these qualities turned out to be relatively more important than antioxidant ones, which predetermined their evolutionary choice of sterol.