Fungal infections cause substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet current treatments are limited and increasingly undermined by resistance. Natural products remain a proven source of antifungal agents, but few new scaffolds have been introduced in recent decades. We identified a novel polyene macrolide from Kitasatospora melanogena with potent activity against major fungal pathogens. This compound disrupts both the fungal cell wall and membrane while inducing oxidative stress, revealing a multifaceted mechanism of action. Our findings highlight soil microbes as valuable reservoirs for antifungal discovery and provide a promising lead for the development of next-generation therapies against life-threatening fungal diseases.
He et al. (Wed,) studied this question.