| Version | Summary | Created by | Modification | Content Size | Created at | Operation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yu Peng | -- | 155 | 2026-09-24 08:25:25 |
Antifungal proteins are proteinaceous molecules that inhibit fungal growth, viability, morphogenesis, spore germination, or other cellular processes required for fungal propagation. Within fungal biology and pharmacology, the term encompasses proteins and peptides produced by fungi, plants, animals, and microorganisms that exert activity against fungal cells through defined molecular interactions [1][2]. Their structural classes include cysteine-rich disulfide-stabilized proteins, defensins, lectins, ribosome-inactivating proteins, protease inhibitors, and enzymes or protein domains with fungistatic or fungicidal activity [1][3]. Antifungal activity may involve binding to fungal cell-wall components or membrane lipids, perturbation of membrane integrity, cellular internalization, induction of reactive oxygen species, disruption of ion homeostasis, interference with cell-wall biosynthesis, or activation of regulated cell-death pathways. The defining scope of antifungal proteins comprises their molecular capacity to recognize or perturb fungal cellular structures and physiological processes, resulting in measurable suppression of fungal growth or survival [2][4].