Disruption of the gene which encodes a serodiagnostic antigen and chitinase of the human fungal pathogen Coccidioides immitis.

ABSTRACT: Disruption of genes in medically important fungi has proved to be a powerful tool for evaluation of putative virulence factors and identification of potential protein targets for novel antifungal drugs. Chitinase has been suggested to play a pivotal role in autolysis of the parasitic cell wall of Coccidioides immitis during the asexual reproductive cycle (endosporulation) of this systemic pathogen. Two chitinase genes (CTS1 and CTS2) of C. immitis have been cloned. Preliminary evidence has suggested that expression of CTS1 is markedly increased during endospore formation. The secreted CTS1 chitinase has also been shown to react with patient anti-Coccidioides complement-fixing (CF) antibody and is a valuable aid in the serodiagnosis of coccidioidomycosis. To examine the role of CTS1 in the

SUBMITTER: Reichard U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC101544 | biostudies-literature | 2000 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature