Alpha subunit of killer toxin from halotolerant yeast
This family contains the alpha subunit of killer toxins that are secreted by several strains of yeasts and fungi. These toxins are proteinous substances that kill sensitive strains. The halotolerant yeast Pichia farinosa KK1 strain produces the SMK toxin, with maximum killer activity under acidic pH and high salt concentration. This toxin is composed of alpha and beta subunits that interact tightly with each other under acidic conditions but easily dissociated and lose activity under neutral conditions. It shares topology to that of the fungal killer toxin, KP4, which contains a rare structural motif, suggesting that these toxins may be evolutionally and/or functionally related.
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