F
IPR004834

Fungal chitin synthase

InterPro entry
Short nameChitin_synth_fun
family relationships

Description

This entry represents chitin synthases classes I, II and III
2.4.1.16
from fungi, in which chitin is an essential component of the cell wall and it is synthesised on the cytoplasmic surface of the cell membrane by membrane bound chitin synthases
[2, 5, 1]
.

Chitin synthase (
2.4.1.16
), also known as chitin-UDP acetyl-glucosaminyl transferase, is a plasma membrane-bound protein which catalyses the conversion of UDP-N-acettyl-D-glucosamine and {(1,4)-(N-acetyl- beta-D-glucosaminyl)}(N) to UDP and {(1,4)-(N-acetyl-beta-D- glucosaminyl)}(N+1) to produce chitin, an abundant biopolymer found in a diverse group of organisms, ranging from fungal species to insects and crustaceans
[2]
. Chitin synthases are grouped into six classes (I-VI), classes I to III comprise one family, which are smaller proteins (average 900 amino acids) and classes IV to VI comprise a second family whose proteins have an average size of nearly 1,200 amino acids
[2]
. It plays a major role in cell wall biogenesis in fungi, as chitin is crucial for the maintenance of cell morphology
[5, 6]
and in C. elegans is essential during embryogenesis providing mechanical support and chemical impermeability
[3, 4]
.

References

1.The fungal cell wall as a drug target. Georgopapadakou NH, Tkacz JS. Trends Microbiol. 3, 98-104, (1995). View articlePMID: 7773595

2.A chitin synthase and its regulator protein are critical for chitosan production and growth of the fungal pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans. Banks IR, Specht CA, Donlin MJ, Gerik KJ, Levitz SM, Lodge JK. Eukaryot Cell 4, 1902-12, (2005). PMID: 16278457

3.The chitin synthase genes chs-1 and chs-2 are essential for C. elegans development and responsible for chitin deposition in the eggshell and pharynx, respectively. Zhang Y, Foster JM, Nelson LS, Ma D, Carlow CK. Dev Biol 285, 330-9, (2005). PMID: 16098962

4.Eggshell chitin and chitin-interacting proteins prevent polyspermy in C. elegans. Johnston WL, Krizus A, Dennis JW. Curr Biol 20, 1932-7, (2010). PMID: 20971008

5.Evolution and Functional Insights of Different Ancestral Orthologous Clades of Chitin Synthase Genes in the Fungal Tree of Life. Li M, Jiang C, Wang Q, Zhao Z, Jin Q, Xu JR, Liu H. Front Plant Sci 7, 37, (2016). PMID: 26870058

6.Evolution of the chitin synthase gene family correlates with fungal morphogenesis and adaption to ecological niches. Liu R, Xu C, Zhang Q, Wang S, Fang W. Sci Rep 7, 44527, (2017). PMID: 28300148

GO terms

cellular component

  • None

Cross References

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