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. 2012 Dec;78(23):8485-7.
doi: 10.1128/AEM.02286-12. Epub 2012 Sep 21.

Biotin-binding proteins in the defense of mushrooms against predators and parasites

Silvia Bleuler-Martinez  1 , Stefanie Schmieder, Markus Aebi, Markus Künzler
Affiliations

Biotin-binding proteins in the defense of mushrooms against predators and parasites

Silvia Bleuler-Martinez et al. Appl Environ Microbiol. 2012 Dec.

Abstract

Tamavidins are fungal biotin-binding proteins (BBPs) displaying antifungal activity against phytopathogens. Here we show high toxicity of tamavidins toward nematodes, insects, and amoebae. As these organisms represent important phyla of fungal predators and parasites, we propose that BBPs are part of the chemical defense system of fungi.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Toxicity of tamavidins. (A to C) Effect of feeding E. coli expressing tamavidin 1 and tamavidin 2 to C. elegans (A) and to Acanthamoeba sp. (B) and E. coli expressing purified tamavidin 2 to D. melanogaster (C) without (white bars) and with (gray bars) the addition of exogenous biotin. Asterisks show cases where all data were 0. E. coli containing empty vector (VC) was used as a control in panels A and B, and BSA was used as a control in panel C. Values are means ± standard errors of the means (error bars). L4, larval stage 4.
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