Hirsutellin A: A Paradigmatic Example of the Insecticidal Function of Fungal Ribotoxins.

ABSTRACT: The fungal pathogen Hirsutella thompsonii produces an insecticidal protein named hirsutellin A (HtA), which has been described to be toxic to several species of mites, insect larvae, and cells. On the other hand, on the basis of an extensive biochemical and structural characterization, HtA has been considered to be a member of the ribotoxins family. Ribotoxins are fungal extracellular ribonucleases, which inactivate ribosomes by specifically cleaving a single phosphodiester bond located at the large rRNA. Although ribotoxins were brought to light in the 1960s as antitumor agents, their biological function has remained elusive. Thus, the consideration of hirsutellin A, an insecticidal protein, as a singular ribotoxin recalled the idea of the biological activity of these toxins as insecticid

SUBMITTER: Herrero-Galan E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4553468 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature