Function of a p24 Heterodimer in Morphogenesis and Protein Transport in Penicillium oxalicum

The lignocellulose degradation capacity of filamentous fungi has been widely studied because of their cellulase hypersecretion. The p24 proteins in eukaryotes serve important functions in this secretory pathway. However, little is known about the functions of the p24 proteins in filamentous fungi. In this study, four p24 proteins were identified in Penicillium oxalicum. Six p24 double-deletion strains were constructed, and further studies were carried out with the ΔerpΔpδ strain. The experimental results suggested that Erp and Pδ form a p24 heterodimer in vivo. This p24 heterodimer participates in important morphogenetic events, including sporulation, hyphal growth, and lateral branching. The results suggested that the p24 heterodimer mediates protein transport, particularly that of cellobiohydrolase. Analysis of the intracellular proteome revealed that the ΔerpΔpδ double mutant is under secretion stress due to attempts to remove proteins that are jammed in the endomembrane system. These results suggest that the p24 heterodimer participates in morphogenesis and protein transport. Compared with P. oxalicum Δerp, a greater number of cellular physiological pathways were impaired in ΔerpΔpδ. This finding may provide new insights into the secretory pathways of filamentous fungi.