In molecular biology, the cerato-platanin family of proteins includes the phytotoxin cerato-platanin (CP) produced by the AscomyceteCeratocystis platani. CP homologs are also found in both the Ascomycota and the Basidiomycota branches of Dikarya.[1] This toxin causes the severe plant disease: canker stain. This protein occurs in the cell wall of the fungus and is involved in the host-pathogen interaction and induces both cell necrosis and phytoalexin synthesis which is one of the first plant defense-related events. CP, like other fungal surface proteins, is able to self-assemble in vitro.[2] CP is a 120 amino acid protein, containing 40% hydrophobicresidues. It is one of the rare examples of protein in which contains a Hopf link.[3] The link is formed by covalent loops - the pieces of protein backbone closed by two disulphide bonds[4] (formed out of four cysteine residues). The N-terminal region of CP is very similar to cerato-ulmin, a phytotoxic protein produced by the Ophiostomaspecies belonging to the hydrophobin family, which also self-assembles.[5]
^Chen, Hongxin; Kovalchuk, Andriy; Keriö, Susanna; Asiegbu, Fred O. (20 January 2017). "Distribution and bioinformatic analysis of the cerato-platanin protein family in Dikarya". Mycologia. 105 (2013): 1479–1488. doi:10.3852/13-115. PMID23928425. S2CID23984426.
^Carresi L, Pantera B, Zoppi C, Cappugi G, Oliveira AL, Pertinhez TA, Spisni A, Scala A, Pazzagli L (October 2006). "Cerato-platanin, a phytotoxic protein from Ceratocystis fimbriata: expression in Pichia pastoris, purification and characterization". Protein Expr. Purif. 49 (2): 159–67. doi:10.1016/j.pep.2006.07.006. PMID16931046.
