Aegerolysins are a biotechnologically relevant family of proteins. They have a relatively low molecular mass of 15–17 kDa, a predominantly β-sheet secondary structure, and high specificity for binding selected membrane lipids. These proteins can serve as docking platforms for a second protein group, MACPF proteins. The combination of aegerolysins and MACPF proteins can exhibit cytotoxic activity toward specific cell types. A total of 155 basidiomycete species have been identified whose genomes encode aegerolysins, their MACPF partner proteins, or both. Using bioinformatic analyses, we inferred the ecological niches and nutritional strategies of these species. In macrofungi, three principal ecological lifestyles have been distinguished: saprotrophic, symbiotic, and parasitic. Fungal species and their fruiting bodies have been classified according to their edibility for humans, falling into the categories of edible, inedible, conditionally edible, or toxic.
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