Ergosterol and lanosterol from Aspergillus nidulans.

Ergosterol was identified as the major free sterol of Aspergillus nidulans by thin-layer chromatography, alumina column chromatography, gas-liquid chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, UV spectroscopy, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and mass spectral analysis. Lanosterol, the initial cyclized precursor of ergosterol, was identified as a minor component of the free sterols. In the steryl ester material, however, lanosterol was usually more abundant than ergosterol, suggesting that the esters serve as storage compounds for the membrane sterol precursors.