The growths of Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild-type strain and another strain containing a disrupted structural gene for chitin synthase (chs1::URA3), defective in chitin synthase 1 (Chs1) but showing a new chitin synthase activity (Chs2), were affected by Calcofluor. To be effective, the interaction of Calcofluor with growing cells had to occur at around pH 6. Treatment of growing cells from the...

In metazoans, fertilization triggers the assembly of an extracellular coat that constitutes the interface between the embryo and its environment. In nematodes, this coat is the eggshell, which provides mechanical rigidity, prevents polyspermy, and is impermeable to small molecules. Using immunoelectron microscopy, we found that the Caenorhabditis elegans eggshell was composed of an outer vitell...

Purified preparations of chitin synthetase (EC 2.4.1.16; UDP-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose:chitin 4-beta-acetamidodeoxyglucosyltransferase), capable of forming microfibrils in vitro, were isolated from yeast cells of Mucor rouxii. Chitin synthetase was obtained either by substrate-induced liberation of bound enzyme (54,000 x g pellet) or by isolation of unbound enzyme present in the 54,000 x g ...

Chitin synthesis occurs in most fungi through the action of different chitin synthase (CS) isoenzymes. In Schizosaccharomyces pombe the chs2(+) gene codes for a protein with significant similarity to CS enzymes, but lacking most of the residues considered to be essential for activity, including the QRRRW domain. Here we show that chs2p is a functional protein that localises to the growing edge ...

the chitinase producing ability of pseudomonas fluorescens strains viz., pf1, pb2 and fp7 was evaluated in a culture medium with and without a chitin source. the addition of 1% (v/v) chitin in culture medium significantly increased the bacterial population and chitinase activity. among three strains tested, fp7 responded well to the addition of chitin by producing 31.2% increased chitinase in c...

Chitin is one of the major cell wall components of ascomycete filamentous fungi, and chitin synthesis plays important roles in the morphogenesis of hyphae. In the Aspergillus nidulans genome, there are two genes, csmA and csmB, that encode a myosin motor-like domain (MMD) at their N-termini and a chitin synthase domain (CSD) at their C-termini. In our previous studies, we found that the MMD of ...

Boric acid (BA) has broad antimicrobial activity that makes it a popular treatment for yeast vaginitis in complementary and alternative medicine. In the model yeast S. cerevisiae, BA disturbs the cytoskeleton at the bud neck and impairs the assembly of the septation apparatus. BA treatment causes cells to form irregular septa and leads to the synthesis of irregular cell wall protuberances that ...

Strains of Bacillus thuringiensis produce insecticidal proteins. These strains have been isolated from diverse ecological niches, such as soil, phylloplane, insect cadavers and grain dust. To effectively propagate, these strains produce a range of molecules that facilitate its multiplication in a competing environment. In this report, we have examined synthesis of a chitin-binding protein and e...