Amyloid-Like β-Aggregates as Force-Sensitive Switches in Fungal Biofilms and Infections.

ABSTRACT: Cellular aggregation is an essential step in the formation of biofilms, which promote fungal survival and persistence in hosts. In many of the known yeast cell adhesion proteins, there are amino acid sequences predicted to form amyloid-like β-aggregates. These sequences mediate amyloid formation in vitro. In vivo, these sequences mediate a phase transition from a disordered state to a partially ordered state to create patches of adhesins on the cell surface. These β-aggregated protein patches are called adhesin nanodomains, and their presence greatly increases and strengthens cell-cell interactions in fungal cell aggregation. Nanodomain formation is slow (with molecular response in minutes and the consequences being evident for hours), and strong interactions lead to enhanced biofilm forma

SUBMITTER: Lipke PN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5813885 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature