Ergosterol and Lanosterol from Aspergillus nidulans

Abstract
Ergosterol was identified as the major free sterol of A. nidulans by TLC, alumina column chromatography, GLC, high-performance liquid chromatography, UV spectroscopy, PMR 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, lanosterol was usually more abundant than ergosterol, suggesting that the esters serve as storage compounds for the membrane sterol precursors.