Aegerolysins: Lipid-binding proteins with versatile functions

Butala, Matej; Novak, Maruša; Kraševec, Nada; Skočaj, Matej; Veranič, Peter; Maček, Peter; Sepčić, Kristina

doi:10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.05.002

Cited by 27 publications

(30 citation statements)

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“…The genome of A. niger contains two aegerolysin and two MACPF-like genes Proteins encoded by genes derived from the two genomes of the fungus A. niger (CBS 513.88 [Pel et al, 2007] and ATTC 1015 [Andersen et al, 2011]) were searched with BLASTP algorithm using amino acid sequences of three fungal aegerolysins, OlyA from P. ostreatus, AspHS and AspHS-like from A. fumigatus, and of two fungal proteins with MACPF domain, PlyB from P. ostreatus and SpoC1-C1C of A. nidulans. Ostreolysin A, besides its highly homologous variant pleurotolysin A, till now remains the best functionally characterised protein from aegerolysin family (Sepčić et al, 2004, Tomita et al, 2004, Ota et al, 2013, Bhat et al, 2015, Lukoyanova et al, 2015, Butala et al, 2017, Panevska et al, 2019. AspHS and AspHS-like proteins from A. fumigatus, belonging to Aspergillus genus, were chosen as other well-studied aegerolysins (Sakaguchi et al, 1975;Ebina et al, 1982;Wartenberg et al, 2011;Rementeria et al, 2005).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The aegerolysin protein family (PF06355; InterPro IPR009413) is currently composed of more than 350 low-molecular-weight (15-20 kDa), acidic, β-structured proteins that have been found in several eukaryotic and bacterial taxa, and are particularly abundant in fungi (Berne et al, 2009;Novak et al, 2015;Butala et al, 2017). The exact biological role of these proteins in fungi is still not clear.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The exact biological role of these proteins in fungi is still not clear. However, there is evidence that their production is developmentally regulated in the producing organism (reviewed in Butala et al 2017 andOta et al 2014). For example, in several Basidiomycota, the expression and consequent production of aegerolysins have been shown to peak during the formation of primordia and young fruiting bodies (Fernandez Espinar and Labarère, 1997;Berne et al, 2002;Lee et al, 2002;Shim et al, 2006;Joh et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Functional studies of aegerolysin and MACPF‐like proteins in Aspergillus niger

Novak

Čepin

Hodnik

et al. 2019

Molecular Microbiology

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Summary Proteins of the aegerolysin family have a high abundance in Fungi. Due to their specific binding to membrane lipids, and their membrane‐permeabilization potential in concert with protein partner(s) belonging to a membrane‐attack‐complex/perforin (MACPF) superfamily, they were proposed as useful tools in different biotechnological and biomedical applications. In this work, we performed functional studies on expression of the genes encoding aegerolysin and MACPF‐like proteins in Aspergillus niger. Our results suggest the sporulation process being crucial for strong induction of the expression of all these genes. However, deletion of either of the aegerolysin genes did not influence the growth, development, sporulation efficiency and phenotype of the mutants, indicating that aegerolysins are not key factors in the sporulation process. In all our expression studies we noticed a strong correlation in the expression of one aegerolysin and MACPF‐like gene. Aegerolysins were confirmed to be secreted from the fungus. We also showed the specific interaction of a recombinant A. niger aegerolysin with an invertebrate‐specific membrane sphingolipid. Moreover, using this protein labelled with mCherry we successfully stained insect cells membranes containing this particular sphingolipid. Our combined results suggest, that aegerolysins in this species, and probably also in other aspergilli, could be involved in defence against predators.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Functional studies of aegerolysin and MACPF‐like proteins in Aspergillus niger

Novak

Čepin

Hodnik

et al. 2019

Molecular Microbiology

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“…The aim of this study was to characterize the biological function of an aegerolysin protein in the fungus Trichoderma atroviride, used for biological control of plant pathogenic fungi in agriculture, with emphasis on its role in asexual development and interactions with other fungi. Aegerolysin (Pfam 06355, InterPro IPR009413) is a family of lipid-binding proteins that are found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes (Novak et al 2015;Butala et al 2017). Aegerolysin family proteins are typically small (15-20 kDa) with low isoelectric point, a predicted β-structure and are shown to be active in a broad pH range from 3.5 to 10.5 (Novak et al 2015;Butala et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional characterization of the AGL1 aegerolysin in the mycoparasitic fungus Trichoderma atroviride reveals a role in conidiation and antagonism

2020

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Aegerolysins are small secreted pore-forming proteins that are found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The role of aegerolysins in sporulation, fruit body formation, and in lysis of cellular membrane is suggested in fungi. The aim of the present study was to characterize the biological function of the aegerolysin gene agl1 in the mycoparasitic fungus Trichoderma atroviride, used for biological control of plant diseases. Gene expression analysis showed higher expression of agl1 during conidiation and during growth in medium supplemented with cell wall material from the plant pathogenic fungus Rhizoctonia solani as the sole carbon source. Expression of agl1 was supressed under iron-limiting condition, while agl1 transcript was not detected during T. atroviride interactions with the prey fungi Botrytis cinerea or R. solani. Phenotypic analysis of agl1 deletion strains (Δagl1) showed reduced conidiation compared to T. atroviride wild type, thus suggesting the involvement of AGL1 in conidiation. Furthermore, the Δagl1 strains display reduced antagonism towards B. cinerea and R. solani based on a secretion assay, although no difference was detected during direct interactions. These data demonstrate the role of AGL1 in conidiation and antagonism in the mycoparasitic fungus T. atroviride.

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Pore‐forming aegerolysin and MACPF proteins in extremotolerant or extremophilic fungi

Kraševec

2024

IUBMB Life

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Aegerolysin proteins are involved in various interactions by recognising a molecular receptor in the target organism. The formation of pores in combination with larger, non‐aegerolysin‐like protein partners (such as membrane attack complex/perforin proteins [MACPFs]) is one of the possible responses in the presumed competitive exclusion of other organisms from the ecological niche. Bicomponent pairs are already observed at the gene level. Fungi growing under extreme conditions can be divided into ubiquitous and extremotolerant generalists which can compete with mesophilic species and rare, isolated extremophilic and extremotolerant specialists with narrow ecological amplitude that cannot compete. Under extreme conditions, there are fewer competitors, so fungal specialists generally produce less diverse and complicated profiles of specialised molecules. Since extremotolerant and extremophilic fungi have evolved in numerous branches of the fungal tree of life and aegerolysins are unevenly distributed across fungal genomes, we investigated whether aegerolysins, together with their partner proteins, contribute to the extreme survival ecology of generalists and specialists. We compiled a list of 109 thermo‐, psihro‐, acido‐, alkali‐, halo‐, metallo‐ and polyextremo‐tolerant/‐philic fungal species. Several challenges were identified that affected the outcome: renaming fungal species, defining extremotolerant/extremophilic traits, identifying extremotolerant/extremophilic traits as metadata in databases and linking fungal isolates to fungal genomes. The yield of genomes coding aegerolysins or MACPFs appears to be lower in extremotolerant/extremophilic fungi compared to all fungal genomes. No candidates for pore‐forming gene pairs were identified in the genomes of extremophilic fungi. Aegerolysin and MACPFs partner pairs were identified in only two of 69 species with sequenced genomes, namely in the ubiquitous metallotolerant generalists Aspergillus niger and A. foetidus. These results support the hypothesised role of these pore‐forming proteins in competitive exclusion.

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Aegerolysins: Lipid-binding proteins with versatile functions

Cited by 27 publications

References 100 publications

Functional studies of aegerolysin and MACPF‐like proteins in Aspergillus niger

Functional studies of aegerolysin and MACPF‐like proteins in Aspergillus niger

Functional characterization of the AGL1 aegerolysin in the mycoparasitic fungus Trichoderma atroviride reveals a role in conidiation and antagonism

Pore‐forming aegerolysin and MACPF proteins in extremotolerant or extremophilic fungi

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