Molecular Cloning and Characterization of Chitinase Genes from Candida albicans

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1995-03, Vol.92 (7), p.2544-2548
• Main Authors: McCreath, Kenneth J., Specht, Charles A., Robbins, Phillips W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Amino acids; Base Sequence; Blotting, Northern; Blotting, Southern; candida albicans; Candida albicans - enzymology; Candida albicans - genetics; Candida albicans - growth & development; Cell walls; Cellular biology; Chitin; Chitinases - biosynthesis; Chitinases - genetics; Cloning, Molecular; Conserved Sequence; DNA; DNA Primers; DNA, Fungal - isolation & purification; DNA, Fungal - metabolism; Enzymes; Escherichia coli; Fungi; Genes; Genomics; Humans; Molecular Sequence Data; Plants; Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA; RNA, Fungal - biosynthesis; RNA, Fungal - isolation & purification; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Yeasts
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.92.7.2544

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.