Ergosterol (ergosta-5,7,22-trien-3β-ol) is a sterol found in fungi, and named for ergot, a common name for the members of the fungal genus Claviceps from which ergosterol was first isolated. Ergosterol does not occur in plant or animal cells. It is a component of yeast and fungal cell membranes, serving the same function cholesterol serves in animal cells. Ergosterol is occasionally reported analytically to occur in grasses such as rye and alfalfa, and in plant flowers such as hops. However, such detection is usually assumed to be detection of fungal growth upon (and sometimes contamination of) the plant, as fungi form an integral part of the grass decay system. This ergosterol assay technique may thus be used to assay grass, grain, and feed systems for fungal content. Ergosterol is a biological precursor (a provitamin) to vitamin D2.
-O000.gif)