Synthesis of fluorinated chitin derivatives has been achieved using chitinase from Bacillus sp. as a catalyst. 6'-Fluoro- (1a), 6-fluoro- (1b) and 6,6'-difluoro- (1c) chitobiose oxazoline derivatives were newly prepared as TSAS monomers for chitinase. Ring-opening polyaddition of these monomers proceeded effectively at pH 8.0-9.0 and 30-40 degrees C, giving rise to alternatingly 6-fluorinated c...

Oligosaccharides possess fascinating functions that are applicable in a variety of fields, such as agriculture. However, the selective synthesis oligosaccharides, especially chitin-oligosaccharides, has remained challenge. Chitin-oligosaccharides activate plant immune system, enabling crops to withstand pathogens without harmful agrichemicals. Here, we demonstrate conversion chitin chitin-oligo...

Most fungal cell walls are constructed with significant amounts of chitin, a linear polysaccharide that contributes mechanical resistance to the structure. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, chitin is synthesized by three different isozymes, each of which has a separate cellular function. In this yeast, the most important role of chitin is in cytokinesis, when a thin primary septum is synth...

The echinocandins are the newest class of antifungal agents in the clinical armory. These secondary metabolites are non-competitive inhibitors of the synthesis of beta-(1,3)-glucan, a major structural component of the fungal cell wall. Recent work has shown that spontaneous mutations can arise in two hot spot regions of Fks1 the target protein of echinocandins that reduce the enzyme's sensitivi...

In prior studies, we demonstrated that glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), the major capsular polysaccharide of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans, interacts with chitin oligomers at the cell wall-capsule interface. The structural determinants regulating these carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions, as well as the functions of these structures, have remained unknown. In this study, we demonstra...

Candida albicans has three genes encoding chitin synthase enzymes. In wild-type strains, the expression of CHS2 and CHS3 peaked 1-2 h after the induction of hyphal growth, whilst mRNA levels in a non-germinative strain, CA2, remained low under the same conditions. CHS1 gene expression did not peak during germ tube formation but remained at low levels in both yeast and hyphal growth. The pattern...

The Xenopus developmental gene DG42 is expressed during early embryonic development, between the midblastula and neurulation stages. The deduced protein sequence of Xenopus DG42 shows similarity to Rhizobium Nod C, Streptococcus Has A, and fungal chitin synthases. Previously, we found that the DG42 protein made in an in vitro transcription/translation system catalyzed synthesis of an array of c...