Characterization of Extracellular Vesicles Produced by Aspergillus fumigatus Protoplasts

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.