The mysterious route of sterols in oomycetes

Sterols are a class of lipids with essential roles in sustaining the domain structure of cell membranes and regulating biological processes [1]. Human health is affected by high cholesterol levels [2]; drugs preventing this are widely used. Also striking is the high demand for compounds classified as sterol biosynthesis inhibitors (SBIs), either as medicine to control fungal infections or as agrochemicals to combat fungal plant diseases [3,4]. Despite the essential role of sterols in cell functioning in eukaryotes, several organisms, including nematodes, insects, and plasmodia, are not able to synthesize sterols themselves. To sustain normal development, these sterol auxotrophs may have to acquire exogenous sterols from their food or environment [5,6].