Fungal Fibrils: Application of the Amyloid Polymer Structure by Fungi - The Functional Fold: Amyloid Structures in Nature - page 49

This may explain why only the Class I hydrophobins represent an
application of the amyloid polymer fold.
While all Class I hydrophobins form rodlets with similar
morphologies and physical properties, they appear to play distinct
functional roles (Fig. 3.8). For example, in S. commune , SC3 is able

Figure 3.8 Role of hydrophobins in the fungal life cycle. Schematic

illustration of the some of the roles played by hydrophobins in
the life cycle of filamentous fungi. Hydrophobins are secreted
into the moist growth environment and assemble into an
amphipathic monolayer at the air-water interface. This acts to
reduce surface tension, allowing the hyphae to breach the air
water interface. Mature spores are also coated with a protective,
amphipathic hydrophobin layer which resists wetting and
facilitates the dispersal of the spores in air. In some systems,
hydrophobin rodlets are involved in mediating the interaction
between fungi and host surfaces.

to lower surface tension when secreted into the growth medium,
coat aerial hyphae and mediate attachment to hydrophobic surfaces.
On the other hand, the SC4 protein forms a hydrophobic layer that
lines gas channels specifically within fruiting bodies.

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Similarly,

the human pathogen expresses two highly related

hydrophobins, RodA and RodB, but only RodA is responsible for
forming a hydrophobic rodlet layer that coats the conidia. The RodA
layer allows conidia dispersal and adhesion to host structures, and

A. fumigatus