ExVe

ExVe catalogs orthologous proteins identified in extracellular vesicles (EVs) of 8 pathogenic and 1 nonpathogenic fungal species to support comparative proteomic and functional analyses.

Key Features:

• Orthologous Group Identification: Identifies orthologous groups by comparing protein profiles derived from EV shotgun proteomics across 8 pathogenic and 1 nonpathogenic fungal species.
• Integration with Established Databases: Integrates protein annotations and identifiers from UniProt and FungiDB to support orthologous group classification.
• Unique Orthologous Group Discovery: Identifies OG6_100083 (Hsp70 Pfam domain) as a universal orthologous group across all studied fungal species and associates it with stress response, survival, and morphological changes.
• Pathogen-Specific Insights: Reports no exclusively pathogenic orthologous groups, identifies 5 orthologous groups unique to Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and defines 4 pathogenic-associated orthologous groups using a clustering criterion requiring presence in at least 7 pathogenic fungi.
• Potential Therapeutic Targets: Highlights protein domains, including Hsp70-related domains, as candidate therapeutic targets for combating fungal infections.

Scientific Applications:

• Fungal EV biology: Supports studies of EV-mediated intercellular communication and fungal physiology by providing curated orthologous protein data.
• Pathogenesis and virulence: Enables investigation of molecular mechanisms underlying fungal pathogenesis and virulence through conserved and species-specific EV proteins.
• Therapeutic target discovery: Facilitates identification of candidate therapeutic targets, including Hsp70-related domains, for further experimental validation.

Methodology:

Performs an orthology-based comparison of proteomic data from EV shotgun proteomics across 8 pathogenic and 1 nonpathogenic fungi, integrates annotations from UniProt and FungiDB, and applies a clustering criterion (presence in ≥7 pathogenic fungi) to define pathogenic-associated orthologous groups.