Hydrophobins: Proteins that Change the Nature of the Fungal Surface

摘要: Publisher Summary Hydrophobins were discovered while searching for genes expressed during emergent growth in Schizophyllum commune, and are a novel class of small secreted cysteine-rich proteins fungi that assemble into amphipathic films when confronted with hydrophilichydrophobic interfaces. The hydrophobicity the air-exposed surface S. commune (SC3) film was as high aerial hyphae. This process interfacial self-assembly single hydrophobin hydrophobic rodlet layer provides remarkably simple mechanism, by which hyphae spores obtain at their because it is this monomers reach water–air interface an film. Some hydrophobins form unstable, others extremely stable, films. By assembling wall–air some have been shown to provide surface, has ultrastructural appearance rodlets on spores. interfaces between water oils, or solids, may be involved adherence phenomena. It appears among most abundantly produced fungi, individual species contain several producing divergent hydrophobins, possibly tailored specific purposes. now implicated various developmental processes, such formation hyphae, fruit bodies conidia, play essential roles fungal ecology— including spore dissemination, pathogenesis, symbiosis. surfactive properties ability them very stable insoluble films, change wettability surfaces, also makes good candidates technical applications.