title: Expression of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis CHS3 in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae chs3 null mutant demonstrates its functionality as a chitin synthase gene.
abstract: We report the isolation and sequencing of CHS3, a gene that encodes one of several chitin synthases in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis, a medically important fungus restricted geographically to Latin America. The gene contains a single open reading frame of 3817 bp with two introns (71 and 86 bp) and encodes a 1220 amino acid polypeptide with high similarity to other fungal chitin synthases. Northern analysis reveals a high expression of CHS3 in the pathogenic yeast-like phase of the fungus and at the end of the mycelium-yeast transition. Expression of P. brasiliensis CHS3 in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae chs3 null mutant enhanced calcofluor white staining in parallel to an increase in total chitin synthase activity and chitin content in its cell wall.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Microbiología y Biología Celular, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Científicas, Caracas, Venezuela.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: Françoise
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sorais
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.forename: Gioconda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: San-Blas
authors.forename: Gustavo A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Niño-Vega
mesh_terms: D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry; D002686:Chitin / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002687:Chitin Synthase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D010228:Paracoccidioides / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D002686:Chitin; D002687:Chitin Synthase