Shedding of the mucin-like flocculin flo11p reveals a new aspect of fungal adhesion regulation

Cell adhesion is a key feature in the regulation of many biological processes. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Flo11p is the major adhesion molecule that controls filamentous growth [1-3] and the expansion of interconnected cells in mats or biofilms [4]. We show here that Flo11p is shed from cells. Flo11p shedding attenuated adherence and contributed to the overall balance in adherence properties that was optimal for filamentous growth and mat formation. Shed Flo11p comprised an essential component of a fluid layer surrounding yeast mats that may be functionally analogous to the mucus secretions of higher eukaryotes. Genome-wide secretion profiling of Flo11p identified new regulatory proteins, including the furin protease Kex2p, which was required for cleavage and maturation of the Flo11p protein. Secreted mucin-like proteins may play unexpected roles in the adherence properties and virulence of microbial pathogens.