On the TPPP-like proteins of flagellated fungi

TPPP-like proteins, exhibiting microtubule stabilizing function, constitute a eukaryotic superfamily, characterized by the presence of the p25alpha domain. TPPPs in the strict sense are present in animals except Trichoplax adhaerens, which instead contains apicortin where a part of the p25alpha domain is combined with a DCX domain. Apicortin is absent in other animals and occurs mostly in the protozoan phylum, Apicomplexa. A strong correlation between the occurrence of p25alpha domain and that of the eukaryotic cilium/flagellum was suggested. Species of the deeper branching clades of Fungi possess flagellum but others lost it thus investigation of fungal genomes can help testing of this suggestion. Indeed, these proteins are present in early branching Fungi. Both TPPP and apicortin are present in Rozellomycota (Cryptomycota) and Chytridiomycota, TPPP in Blastocladiomycota, apicortin in Neocallimastigomycota, Monoblepharomycota and the non-flagellated Mucoromycota. Beside the "normal" TPPP occurring in animals, a special, fungal-type TPPP is also present in Fungi, in which a part of the p25alpha domain is duplicated. Dikarya, the most developed subkingdom of Fungi, lacks both flagellum and TPPPs. Thus it is strengthened that each ciliated/flagellated organism contains p25alpha domain-containing proteins while there are very few non-flagellated ones where p25alpha domain can be found.