Evidence that fimbriae of the smut fungus Microbotryum violaceum contain RNA

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada ABSTRACT The cells of the fungus Microbotryum violaceum produce many long, fine surface hairs that are similar in size and morphology to bacterial pili or fimbriae. These fungal fimbriae are assembled from...

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Published inMicrobiology (Society for General Microbiology) Vol. 140; no. 10; pp. 2699 - 2704
Main Authors Celerin, Martina, Laudenbach, David E, Bancroft, John B, Day, Alan W
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Reading Soc General Microbiol 01.10.1994
Society for General Microbiology
Subjects
Biological and medical sciences
Fimbriae, Bacterial - chemistry
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Microbiology
Microbotryum violaceum
Morphology, structure, chemical composition
Mycology
RNA - isolation & purification
Spectrophotometry
Ustilago - chemistry
Ustilago - ultrastructure
Fungi
Purification
Plant pathogen
RNA
Basidiomycetes
Pilus
Glycoproteins
Extracellular
Ustilago violacea
Physicochemical properties
Thallophyta
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Summary:Department of Plant Sciences, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, N6A 5B7, Canada ABSTRACT The cells of the fungus Microbotryum violaceum produce many long, fine surface hairs that are similar in size and morphology to bacterial pili or fimbriae. These fungal fimbriae are assembled from 74 kDa glycoprotein subunits. We now present evidence that these fimbriae also have a RNA component. Isopycnic centrifugation of fimbriae in caesium chloride produced one band at a density intermediate to that of protein and nucleic acid. The absorbance spectrum of the intact fimbriae was consistent with that of a nucleoprotein. After extraneous RNAs were enzymically removed from the purified fimbrial preparation, disruption of the fibrils resulted in the release of not only the 74 kDa glycoprotein subunits, but also a 30 base single-stranded RNA species. To our knowledge, this is the first example of extracellular RNA as a component of a surface appendage. * Author for correspondence: David E. Laudenbach. Tel: +1 519 679 2111 ext. 6485. Fax: +1 519 661 3935. e-mail: LBACH@julian.UWO.CA Keywords: Microbotryum violaceum ( Ustilago violacea ), extracellular RNA, fimbriae
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
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ISSN:1350-0872
1465-2080
DOI:10.1099/00221287-140-10-2699