title: Isolation and characterization of two chitin synthase genes from Aspergillus nidulans.
abstract: Two chitin synthase genes, designated chsA and chsB, were isolated from Aspergillus nidulans with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae CHS2 gene as the hybridization probe. Nucleotide sequencing showed that chsA and chsB encoded polypeptides consisting of 1013 and 916 amino acid residues, respectively; the hydropathy profiles of the enzymes were similar to those of other fungal chitin synthases. Northern analysis indicated that both genes were transcribed, suggesting that cellular chitin in A. nidulans is synthesized by at least two chitin synthases. For examination of the roles of the chitin synthase genes in cell growth, gene disruption experiments were done. The chsA disruptant grew as well as the wild-type strain, but the chsB disruptant had severe growth defects that could not be overcome by the addition of 1.2M sorbitol as an osmotic stabilizer. These findings suggested that chsB but not chsA is essential for hyphal growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Chemistry, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanai
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takaya
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Horiuchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ohta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takagi
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001233:Aspergillus nidulans / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002687:Chitin Synthase / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D003470:Culture Media; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015723:Gene Library; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010957:Plasmids; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004271:DNA, Fungal; D002687:Chitin Synthase