Uncovering Sequence and Structural Characteristics of Fungal Expansin-Related Proteins With Potential to Drive Substrate Targeting.

ABSTRACT: Expansins loosen plant cell wall networks through disrupting non-covalent bonds between cellulose microfibrils and matrix polysaccharides. Whereas expansins were first discovered in plants, expansin-related proteins have since been identified in bacteria and fungi. The biological function of microbial expansins remains unclear; however, several studies have shown distinct binding preferences toward different structural polysaccharides. Earlier studies of bacterial expansin-related proteins uncovered sequence and structural features that correlate to substrate binding. Herein, 20 fungal expansin-related sequences were recombinantly produced in Komagataella phaffii, and the purified proteins were compared in terms of substrate binding to cellulosic and chitinous substrates. The impact of pH

SUBMITTER: Pohto A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12779228 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature