Fungal adhesins are proteins located on the surface of
fungal cells, specifically found on the outside of the
cell wall
A cell wall is a structural layer surrounding some types of cells, just outside the cell membrane. It can be tough, flexible, and sometimes rigid. It provides the cell with both structural support and protection, and also acts as a filtering mech ...
.
They allow fungi to colonize various substrates and to bind to host tissues. Adhesion to tissue is an obligatory first step in
pathogenesis by many
yeasts. Adhesins also have other functions, such as mating and biofilm formation.
''Candida albicans''
''
Candida albicans'' can cause opportunistic oral and genital infections in humans.
Hwp1
Hwp1
Hwp1 (Hyphal wall protein 1) is a protein (glycoprotein) located on the surface of an opportunistic diploid fungus called ''Candida albicans''.
This "hyphal" denomination is due to Hwp1 appears exclusively on the surface of a projection called h ...
is a fungal adhesin belonging to the opportunistic dimorphic fungus ''Candida albicans''. Hwp1 is unique among fungal adhesins discovered to date in that it is a mammalian transglutaminase substrate. The host enzyme allows ''C. albicans'' to form covalent bonds to the host tissue via Hwp1.
See also
*
Adhesin molecule (immunoglobulin -like)
*
Bacterial adhesin
*
Cell adhesion
Cell adhesion is the process by which cells interact and attach to neighbouring cells through specialised molecules of the cell surface. This process can occur either through direct contact between cell surfaces such as cell junctions or indir ...
References
Fungal proteins
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