Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 10, 2026
07:44
Application of Membrane and Cell Wall Selective Fluorescent Dyes for Live-Cell Imaging of Filamentous Fungi
Published on: November 28, 2019
Conserved processes and lineage-specific proteins in fungal cell wall evolution
Juan E Coronado1, Saad Mneimneh, Susan L Epstein
1Department of Biological Sciences, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, New York 10021, USA.
Eukaryotic Cell
|October 24, 2007
Summary
Fungal cell walls have ancestral, conserved genes for synthesis but rapidly diversifying proteins for specific functions. This implies basic fungal wall architecture is ancient, with later lineage-specific adaptations.
Area of Science:
- Mycology
- Molecular Biology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The fungal cell wall is a key organelle distinguishing fungi from other opisthokonts.
- Understanding cell wall composition and evolution is crucial for fungal biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and analyze cell wall-related proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and their homologs in other fungi.
- To investigate the conservation and diversification patterns of fungal cell wall proteins.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a sensitive technique for aligning low-complexity protein sequences.
- Identified 187 cell wall-related proteins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
- Compared protein homologs across 17 diverse fungal genomes.
Main Results:
- Discovered both conserved and lineage-specific cell wall proteins, with conservation correlating to protein function.
- Identified poorly conserved, lineage-specific proteins like adhesins and structural components.
- Found strong conservation in proteins involved in synthesis (e.g., glycosyl hydrolases, transferases) and maintenance (e.g., proteases, chaperones).
- Noted conservation of many cell wall synthesis proteins in other eukaryotes, including plants.
Conclusions:
- The basic architecture of fungal cell walls is likely ancestral, predating the divergence of ascomycetes and basidiomycetes.
- Fungal cell walls exhibit diversification through lineage-specific proteins, assembled by conserved ancestral genes.
- This suggests a model of conserved core machinery with adaptable outer components for fungal cell wall evolution.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Overview of Fungi
Fungi are a diverse group of eukaryotes more closely related to animals than other eukaryotes. Fungal cell walls comprise chitin, a polysaccharide that provides structural strength, and glucans, which contribute to flexibility and integrity. Other polysaccharides, such as mannans and galactosans, may supplement or replace chitin in some fungi. These adaptations, along with their preference for acidic environments and tolerance for high osmotic pressure, enable fungi to thrive in various...
01:02Role of Microtubules in Cell Wall Deposition
Microtubules are small hollow tubes in eukaryotic cells. The cell wall microtubules are polymerized dimers of two globular proteins, α-tubulin and β-tubulin, two globular proteins. With a diameter of about 25 nm, microtubules are the widest components of the cytoskeleton. They help the cell resist compression and provide a track along which vesicles move through the cell or pull replicated chromosomes to opposite ends of a dividing cell. Microtubules go through quick cycles of disassembly and...
01:29Archaeal Cell Wall
Archaeal cell walls are structurally and compositionally distinct from their bacterial counterparts, lacking the characteristic peptidoglycan layer found in most bacteria. Instead, archaeal cell walls exhibit remarkable diversity, utilizing materials such as pseudomurein, polysaccharides, and proteins to construct their protective outer layers. This structural flexibility is closely tied to archaea's ecological adaptability.S-Layers: The Common Archaeal Cell WallThe S-layer is the most...
01:07Plant Cell Wall
Plant cells have a cell wall, a rigid outer covering that protects the cell and provides shape and support. During cell division, a mixture of enzymes, proteins, and glucose molecules is transported via vesicles to the center of the cell. These vesicles continuously fuse and build a cell plate between the dividing cells. As the cell plate matures, new polysaccharides are added to it to form the cell walls of the daughter cells. The predominant polysaccharide in the cell wall is cellulose, made...
02:43Plant Cell Wall
The plant cell wall gives plant cells shape, support, and protection. As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to the cell type. For example, the parenchyma cells of leaves possess only a thin, primary cell wall.Collenchyma and sclerenchyma cells, on the other hand, mainly occur in the outer layers of a plant's stems and leaves. These cells provide the plant with strength and support by either partially thickening their primary cell wall (i.e., collenchyma), or depositing a...
01:22Bacterial Cell Wall
The bacterial cell wall is an essential structural component that encases the plasma membrane, preserving cellular integrity, determining shape, and protecting against osmotic stress. This rigid yet flexible structure primarily comprises peptidoglycan, a polymer that forms a mesh-like matrix conferring mechanical strength and flexibility.Peptidoglycan Composition and StructurePeptidoglycan, the core of the bacterial cell wall, comprises alternating units of N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and...