Amyloid-like properties of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall glucantransferase Bgl2p

Glucantransferase Bgl2p is a major conserved cell wall constituent described for a wide range of yeast species. In the baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae it is the only non-covalently bound cell wall protein that cannot be released from cell walls by sequential SDS and trypsin treatment. It contains 7 amyloidogenic determinants. Circular dichroism analysis and fluorescence spectroscopy with thioflavin T indicate the presence of β-sheet structures in Bgl2p isolates. Bgl2p forms fibrils, a process that is enforced in the presence of other cell wall components. Thus the data obtained is the first evidence for amyloid-like properties of yeast cell wall protein – glucantransferase Bgl2p.