SAP1 Proteins

Secreted aspartic peptidases (SAPs) are a group of ten acidic hydrolases considered as key virulence factors. These enzymes supply the fungus with nutrient amino acids as well as are able to degrade the selected host's proteins involved in the immune defense. Induces host inflammatory cytokine production in a proteolytic activity-independent way. Plays a role in tissue damage during superficial infection. Moreover, acts toward human hemoglobin though limited proteolysis to generate a variety of antimicrobial hemocidins, enabling to compete with the other microorganisms of the same physiological niche using the microbicidal peptides generated from the host protein. {ECO:0000269|PubMed:10569787, ECO:0000269|PubMed:11478679, ECO:0000269|PubMed:12761103, ECO:0000269|PubMed:15845479, ECO:0000269|PubMed:19880183, ECO:0000269|PubMed:20713630, ECO:0000269|PubMed:22302440, ECO:0000269|PubMed:23927842}.