Multiple hydrophobin genes in mushrooms

Comunicación presentada al VI Meeting on Genetics and Cellular Biology of Basidiomycetes (GCBB-VI), organizado por y celebrado en la Universidad Pública de Navarra el 3-6 de junio de 2005.Hydrophobins are small secreted fungal proteins that form amphipathic films on the hyphal surfaces. In the wood-rotting fungus Schizophyllum commune, four different hydrophobins are known with well established functions during vegetative growth and fruiting body development. Our study aims at elucidating the role of these proteins in wood penetration and lignocellulose degradation. Blast searches of the genome of the dung fungus Coprinopsis cinerea revealed a surprising number of 34 different hydrophobin genes in this species. Functional analysis of these genes is in progress.Part of this work was conducted within the NHN (Niedersächsisches Kompetenznetz für Nachhaltige Holznutzung). Financial support by the Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony and by EFRE (European Fund for Regional Development, grant 2001.085). The section Molecular Wood Biotechnology at the Institute for Forest Botany is funded by the DBU (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt)