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Chitin Synthesis and Degradation in Fungi: Biology and Enzymes

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Book cover Targeting Chitin-containing Organisms

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1142))

Abstract

Chitin is one of the most important carbohydrates of the fungal cell wall, and is synthesized by chitin synthases. Chitin can be degraded by chitinases, which are important virulence factors in pathogenic fungi. Knowledge about the biosynthesis and degradation of chitin, and the enzymes responsible, has accumulated in recent years. In this review, we analyze the amino acid sequences of chitin synthases from several typical fungi. These enzymes can be divided into seven groups. While the different chitin synthases from a single fungus share a low degree of similarity, the same type of chitin synthase from different fungi shows high similarity. The number of chitinase genes in fungi display wide variation, from a single gene in Schizosaccharomyces pombe, to 36 genes in Trichoderma virens. Chitinases from different fungi can be divided into four groups. The functions of chitin synthases and chitinases in several typical fungi are summarized, and the crystal structures of chitinases and chitinase modification are also discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The research described here is jointly supported by the NSFC-Yunnan Joint Fund (U1402265), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (approved nos. 31272093 and 31360019).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-Resources in Yunnan, and Key Laboratory for Microbial Resources of the Ministry of Education, Yunnan University, 650091, Kunming, Yunnan, China

    Jinkui Yang & Ke-Qin Zhang

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  1. Jinkui Yang
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  2. Ke-Qin Zhang
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Correspondence to Ke-Qin Zhang .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. State Laboratory of Biology for Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection at Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China

    Qing Yang

  2. Biochemistry−Electrochemistry Research Unit, Institute of Science, Suranaree University of Technology, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

    Tamo Fukamizo

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Yang, J., Zhang, KQ. (2019). Chitin Synthesis and Degradation in Fungi: Biology and Enzymes. In: Yang, Q., Fukamizo, T. (eds) Targeting Chitin-containing Organisms. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1142. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7318-3_8

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