title: Coccidioides posadasii contains single chitin synthase genes corresponding to classes I to VII.
abstract: Coccidioides posadasii is a dimorphic fungal pathogen of humans and other mammals. The switch between saprobic and parasitic growth involves synthesis of new cell walls of which chitin is a significant component. To determine whether particular subsets of chitin synthases (CHSes) are responsible for production of chitin at different stages of differentiation, we have isolated six CHS genes from this fungus. They correspond, together with another reported CHS gene, to single members of the seven defined classes of chitin synthases (classes I-VII). Using Real-Time RT-PCR we show their pattern of expression during morphogenesis. CpCHS2, CpCHS3, and CpCHS6 are preferentially expressed during the saprobic phase, while CpCHS1 and CpCHS4 are more highly expressed during the parasitic phase. CpCHS5 and CpCHS7 expression is similar in both saprobic and parasitic phases. Because C. posadasii contains single members of the seven classes of CHSes found in fungi, it is a good model to investigate the putatively different roles of these genes in fungal growth and differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, Division of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721-0036, USA.
authors.forename: M Alejandra
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mandel
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Galgiani
authors.forename: Scott
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kroken
authors.forename: Marc J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Orbach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002687:Chitin Synthase / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D003045:Coccidioides / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling / Q000379:methods; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000235:genetics; D015966:Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D002687:Chitin Synthase