S. Scherrer et al., Interfacial self-assembly of fungal hydrophobins of the lichen-forming ascomycetes Xanthoria parietina and X-ectaneoides, FUNGAL G B, 30(1), 2000, pp. 81-93
In the symbiotic phenotype of the lichen-forming ascomycetes Xanthoria pari
etina and X. ectaneoides, a conglutinate, hydrophilic cortex surrounds a sy
stem of aerial hyphae with hydrophobic wall surfaces, In X, parietina freez
e-fracture electron microscopy showed that a rodlet layer covers the fungal
and algal wall surfaces. Extracts of hot SDS-insoluble wall residues isola
ted from both species contained a protein that revealed a rodlet layer upon
interfacial self-assembly. The N-terminal sequence of the 10-kDa protein o
f X, ectaneoides served to clone cDNA fragments of XEH1 (H1 of X, ectaneoid
es) and XPH1 (H1 of X, parietina) by RT-PCR, Genomic DNA blot analysis with
both lichenized species and the aposymbiotically cultured symbionts of X,
parietina showed that XPH1 and XEH1 ave fungal single copy genes. The deduc
ed amino acid sequences of the two encoded proteins were 96% identical and
showed the characteristics of class hydrophobins. (C) 2000 Academic Press.