Identification and Characterization of a Class Ⅲ Chitin Synthase Gene of Moniliophthora perniciosa, the Fungus That Causes Witches' Broom Disease of Cacao

• Published in: The journal of microbiology 2009, 47(4), , pp.431-440
• Main Authors: Souza, Catiane S., Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), Avenida Transnordestina, Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil, Oliveira, Bruno M., Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), Avenida Transnordestina, Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil, Costa, Gustavo G.L., Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil, Schriefer, Albert, Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Hospital Universitario Professor Edgard Santos, BA, Brazil, Selbach-Schnadelbach, Alessandra, Universidade Estadual do Rio Grande do Sul (UERGS), RS, Brazil, Uetanabaro, Ana Paula T., Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), Avenida Transnordestina, Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil, Pirovani, Carlos P., LGEE, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC), Rodovia Ilheus-Itabuna, BA, Brazil, Pereira, Goncalo A.G., Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, SP, Brazil, Taranto, Alex G., Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil, Cascardo, Julio Cezar de M., LGEE, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC), Rodovia Ilheus-Itabuna, BA, Brazil, Goes-Neto, Aristoteles, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), Avenida Transnordestina, Feira de Santana, BA, Brazil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agaricales - chemistry; Agaricales - classification; Agaricales - enzymology; Agaricales - genetics; Amino Acid Motifs; Biomedical and Life Sciences; cacao; Cacao - microbiology; CELL WALLS; CHITIN; Chitin synthase; Chitin Synthase - chemistry; Chitin Synthase - genetics; Chitin Synthase - metabolism; CHITINE; Drug development; Enzymes; Fungal Proteins - chemistry; Fungal Proteins - genetics; Fungal Proteins - metabolism; Fungi; Gene mapping; Genes; Genomes; Glucosyltransferase; Introns; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Weight; Open reading frames; PARED CELULAR; PAROI CELLULAIRE; Pathogens; Phylogeny; Plant Diseases - microbiology; Primers; QUITINA; Transcription; witches' broom disease; 생물학
• ISSN: 1225-8873; 1976-3794
• DOI: 10.1007/s12275-008-0166-3

Chitin synthase (CHS) is a glucosyltransferase that converts UDP-N-acetylglucosamine into chitin, one of the main components of fungal cell wall. Class Ⅲ chitin synthases act directly in the formation of the cell wall. They catalyze the conversion of the immediate precursor of chitin and are responsible for the majority of chitin synthesis in fungi. As such, they are highly specific molecular targets for drugs that can inhibit the growth and development of fungal pathogens. In this work, we have identified and characterized a chitin synthase gene of Moniliophthora perniciosa (Mopchs) by primer walking. The complete gene sequence is 3,443 bp, interrupted by 13 small introns, and comprises a cDNA with an ORF with 2,739 bp, whose terminal region was experimentally determined, encoding a protein with 913 aa that harbors all the motifs and domains typically found in class Ⅲ chitin synthases. This is the first report on the characterization of a chitin synthase gene, its mature transcription product, and its putative protein in basidioma and secondary mycelium stages of M. perniciosa, a basidiomycotan fungus that causes witches' broom disease of cacao.