One of 8 partially redundant surface-active proteins required for efficient formation of aerial mycelium; the short chaplins assemble into a hydrophobic, amyloidal fibrillar surface layer that envelopes and protects aerial hyphae and spores, presumably anchored to the long chaplins (PubMed:12832396, PubMed:12832397, PubMed:15228525, PubMed:17462011). Chaplins have an overlapping function with the surface-active SapB peptide; chaplins are essential on minimal medium while on rich medium both chaplins and SapB are required for efficient aerial hyphae formation (PubMed:17462011). Chaplins are also involved in cell attachment to a hydrophobic surface (PubMed:19682261). Forms amyloid fibrils in vitro probably composed of stacked beta-sheets, at low extracellular concentrations individually restores the ability to form aerial hyphae to a chaplin-deficient strain (PubMed:21526199). A small chaplin extract (ChpD, ChpE, ChpF, ChpG and ChpH) self-assembles into 2 different amyloids; small fibrils at the air-water interface form an amphipathic membrane that resembles spore-surface structures involved in aerial hyphae formation, and hydrophilic fibrils in solution that resemble the fibers that attach cells to a hydrophobic surface. At the air-water interface the hydrophilic surface is in contact with water (probably equivalent to the peptidoglycan layer), while the hydrophobic face is exposed to the air, making the surface of the aerial hyphae hydrophobic (PubMed:24012833). A small chaplin extract applied to a chaplin-deficient strain restores aerial hyphae formation (PubMed:12832396, PubMed:12832397). The small chaplin extract forms an amyloid-like structure similar to that seen on the surface of cells without rodlets (rdlA-rdlB deletions), and is highly surface active, reducing surface tension from 72 to 26 mJ/m(2), which probably allows escape of hyphae from an aqueous environment into air (PubMed:12832396). ChpF and ChpG are sufficient to restore the rodlet layer and hydrophobicity to a strain deleted for the other 6 chaplin genes (PubMed:15228525). Present in aerial hyphae of sporulating cultures (at protein level). Not expressed while still submerged, accumulates during aerial hyphae formation on minimal medium, no transcript detected during sporulation. Strongly expressed in aerial hyphae (at protein level) (Probable). During aerial hyphae formation and early sporulation on rich medium, under control of ECF sigma factor BldN (PubMed:12832397). Expression depends on bldB but not bldA, bldD or bldH (at protein level) (PubMed:17462011). A strain deleted of chpF and chpG makes rodlets (PubMed:15228525). Deletion of all 8 chaplin genes on minimal medium leads to severely disrupted aerial hyphae that collapse on the colony surface and are not hydrophobic. A few spore chains can still be made, but they have neither rodlets or amyloid-like fibers. rdlA and rdlB mRNA are down-regulated (PubMed:15228525, PubMed:17462011). Deletion of all 8 chaplin genes on rich medium leads to a reduced abundance of aerial hyphae without rodlets and occasional spore chains on surface hyphae. A complete chaplin-negative plus ram-negative strain (deletion of ramR or the ramC-ramS-ramA-ramB operon) leads to the complete loss of robust aerial hyphae (PubMed:17462011). Deletion of all 8 chaplin genes significantly reduces cellular attachment to a hydrophobic substrate; thin fibrils instead of fimbrae are detected. The long chaplins (ChpA, ChpB and ChpC, as seen by near wild-type attachment of the hextuple chpA-chpB-chpC-chpD-chpE-chpH knockout) are not essential but may contribute to attachment (PubMed:19682261). The small chaplin mixture (a cell wall extract of an rdlA-rdlB knockout) forms a stable coat on a number of surfaces (including Teflon and cotton) and emulsifies oil-water mixtures, which could be useful in medical and technical applications. Belongs to the chaplin family. Short chaplin subfamily.