Review
Received: 17 November 2008; Revised: 19 January 2009; Accepted: 26 January 2009
10.1002/pro.85 About DOI
Aegerolysins: Structure, function, and putative biological role |
Sabina Berne 1, Ljerka Lah 2, Kristina Sep i 3 * |
| 1Medical Centre for Molecular Biology, Institute of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 2Ljerka Lah, Laboratory for Biosynthesis and Biotransformation, National Institute of Chemistry, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia 3Department of Biology, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| email: Kristina Sepi (kristina.sepcic@bf.uni-lj.si) |
*Correspondence to Kristina Sepi, University of Ljubljana, Vena pot 111, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Funded by:
Slovenian Research Agency
| Keywords |
| aegerolysin Aspergillus hemolytic protein lipid raft mushroom Pleurotus protein family |
| Abstract |
Aegerolysins, discovered in fungi, bacteria and plants, are highly similar proteins with interesting biological properties. Certain aegerolysins possess antitumoral, antiproliferative, and antibacterial activities. Further possible medicinal applications include their use in the prevention of atherosclerosis, or as vaccines. Additional biotechnological value of fungal aegerolysins lies in their involvement in development, which could improve cultivation of commercially important edible mushrooms. Besides, new insights on microheterogeneity of raft-like membrane domains could be gained by using aegerolysins as specific markers in cell and molecular biology. Although the exact function of aegerolysins in their producing organisms remains to be explained, they are biochemically well characterized all- structured proteins sharing the following common features: low isoelectric points, similar molecular weights (15-17 kDa), and stability in a wide pH range. |
Received: 17 November 2008; Revised: 19 January 2009; Accepted: 26 January 2009
| Digital Object Identifier (DOI) |
10.1002/pro.85 About DOI
