title: Molecular cloning and characterization of chitinase genes from Candida albicans.
abstract: Chitinase (EC 3.2.1.14) is an important enzyme for the remodeling of chitin in the cell wall of fungi. We have cloned three chitinase genes (CHT1, CHT2, and CHT3) from the dimorphic human pathogen Candida albicans. CHT2 and CHT3 have been sequenced in full and their primary structures have been analyzed: CHT2 encodes a protein of 583 aa with a predicted size of 60.8 kDa; CHT3 encodes a protein of 567 aa with a predicted size of 60 kDa. All three genes show striking similarity to other chitinase genes in the literature, especially in the proposed catalytic domain. Transcription of CHT2 and CHT3 was greater when C. albicans was grown in a yeast phase as compared to a mycelial phase. A transcript of CHT1 could not be detected in either growth condition.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, USA.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: McCreath
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Specht
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Robbins
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D002688:Chitinases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D004926:Escherichia coli; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012331:RNA, Fungal / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D012689:Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D012331:RNA, Fungal; D002688:Chitinases