Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles Produced by Aspergillus fumigatus Protoplasts
Juliana Rizzo, Thibault Chaze, Kildare Miranda, Robert W. Roberson, Olivier Gorgette, Leonardo Nimrichter, Mariette Matondo, Jean‐Paul Latgé, Anne Beauvais, Márcio L. Rodrigues
Abstract
Fungal cells use extracellular vesicles (EVs) to export biologically active molecules to the extracellular space. In this study, we used protoplasts of Aspergillus fumigatus , a major fungal pathogen, as a model to evaluate the role of EV production in cell wall biogenesis. Our results demonstrated that wall-less A. fumigatus exports plasma membrane-derived EVs containing a complex combination of proteins and glycans. Our report is the first to characterize fungal EVs in the absence of a cell wall. Our results suggest that protoplasts represent a promising model for functional studies of fungal vesicles.