Lathosterol Oxidase (Sterol C-5 Desaturase) Deletion Confers Resistance to Amphotericin B and Sensitivity to Acidic Stress in Leishmania major.

Lathosterol oxidase (LSO) catalyzes the formation of the C-5-C-6 double bond in the synthesis of various types of sterols in mammals, fungi, plants, and protozoa. In parasites, mutations in or other sterol biosynthetic genes are associated with amphotericin B resistance. To investigate the biological roles of sterol C-5-C-6 desaturation, we generated an -null mutant line ( ) in , the causative agent for cutaneous leishmaniasis.