This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Kellner, E. M.
Right arrow Articles by Galgiani, J. N.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Kellner, E. M.
Right arrow Articles by Galgiani, J. N.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Eukaryotic Cell, January 2005, p. 111-120, Vol. 4, No. 1
1535-9778/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.4.1.111-120.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Coccidioides posadasii Contains a Single 1,3-ß-Glucan Synthase Gene That Appears To Be Essential for Growth

Ellen M. Kellner,1,2,3 Kris I. Orsborn,1,3 Erin M. Siegel,1,3,{dagger} M. Alejandra Mandel,1,2,3 Marc J. Orbach,1,2 and John N. Galgiani1,3,4*,{dagger}

Valley Fever Center for Excellence,1 Department of Plant Sciences,2 Department of Internal Medicine, University of Arizona,4 Southern Arizona Veteran's Affairs Health Care System, Tucson, Arizona3

Received 23 June 2004/ Accepted 3 November 2004

1,3-ß-Glucan synthase is responsible for the synthesis of ß-glucan, an essential cell wall structural component in most fungi. We sought to determine whether Coccidioides posadasii possesses genes homologous to known fungal FKS genes that encode the catalytic subunit of 1,3-ß-glucan synthase. A single gene, designated FKS1, was identified, and examination of its predicted protein product showed a high degree of conservation with Fks proteins from other filamentous fungi. FKS1 is expressed at similar levels in mycelia and early spherulating cultures, and expression decreases as the spherules mature. We used Agrobacterium-mediated transformation to create strains that harbor {Delta}FKS1::hygB, a null allele of FKS1, and hypothesize that Fks1p function is essential, due to our inability to purify this allele away from a complementing wild-type FKS1 allele in a heterokaryotic strain. The heterokaryon appears normal with respect to growth rate and arthroconidium production; however, microscopic examination of strains with {Delta}FKS1::hygB alleles revealed abnormal swelling of hyphal elements.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Valley Fever Center for Excellence, 3601 S. Sixth Ave., Tucson, AZ 85723. Phone: (520) 629-4777. Fax: (520) 629-4738. E-mail: spherule{at}u.arizona.edu.

{dagger} Present address: Cancer Prevention and Control, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, FL 33612.

Eukaryotic Cell, January 2005, p. 111-120, Vol. 4, No. 1
1535-9778/05/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/EC.4.1.111-120.2005
Copyright © 2005, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Mandel, M. A., Barker, B. M., Kroken, S., Rounsley, S. D., Orbach, M. J. (2007). Genomic and Population Analyses of the Mating Type Loci in Coccidioides Species Reveal Evidence for Sexual Reproduction and Gene Acquisition. Eukaryot Cell 6: 1189-1199 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Kankanala, P., Czymmek, K., Valent, B. (2007). Roles for Rice Membrane Dynamics and Plasmodesmata during Biotrophic Invasion by the Blast Fungus. Plant Cell 19: 706-724 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Lesage, G., Bussey, H. (2006). Cell Wall Assembly in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 70: 317-343 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»