Characterisation of CwpA, a putative glycosylphosphatidylinositol-anchored cell wall mannoprotein in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger

Fungal Genet Biol. 2005 Oct;42(10):873-85. doi: 10.1016/j.fgb.2005.06.006.

Abstract

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins in fungi are found at the cell surface, either as plasma membrane proteins (GPI-PMPs) or attached by a remnant of the GPI-anchor to the cell wall (GPI-CWPs). GPI-CWPs can be extracted from the cell wall by treatment with hydrofluoric acid (HF), which cleaves the phosphodiester bond that is present in the remnant of the GPI-anchor. The filamentous fungus Aspergillus niger contains at least seven HF-extractable cell wall mannoproteins. One gene encoding an HF-extractable cell wall mannoprotein, cwpA, was cloned and further characterised. The protein sequence of CwpA indicated the presence of two hydrophobic signal sequences both at the N-terminus and C-terminus of the protein, for entering the ER and the addition of a GPI-anchor, respectively. A CwpA-specific antiserum was raised and in combination with fractionation experiments, we show that this protein was abundantly present as an HF-extractable protein in the cell wall of A. niger.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Aspergillus niger / chemistry*
  • Aspergillus niger / genetics*
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Wall / chemistry*
  • DNA, Fungal / chemistry
  • DNA, Fungal / genetics
  • Fungal Proteins / chemistry
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics*
  • Fungal Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Gene Deletion
  • Glycosylphosphatidylinositols*
  • Hydrofluoric Acid
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / chemistry*
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics*
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / isolation & purification
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Phylogeny
  • Protein Sorting Signals / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • DNA, Fungal
  • Fungal Proteins
  • Glycosylphosphatidylinositols
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • Protein Sorting Signals
  • mannoproteins
  • Hydrofluoric Acid

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AY704270