Skip to main content
Log in

Molecular taxonomy of dermatophytes and related fungi by chitin synthase 1 (CHS1) gene sequences

  • Published:
Antonie van Leeuwenhoek Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the present study, the nucleotide sequences of the CHS1 gene from dermatophytes and related fungi in the genera Chrysosporium, Epidermophyton, Microsporum and Trichophyton were investigated using molecular methods. About 440-bp genomic DNA fragments of the CHS1 gene from 21 species were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. The CHS1 nucleotide sequences of these fungi showed more than 83% similarity. The molecular taxonomy of the CHS1 gene sequences revealed that Microsporum was genetically distinct from Chrysosporium and Trichophyton, as classified by morphological characteristics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Brown A.R., Chen-Wu J.L., Momany M., Young R., Szaniszlo P.J. and Robbins P.W. 1992. Classification of fungal chitin synthases. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89: 519–523.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Felsenstein J. 1985. Confidence limits on phylogenies: an approach using the bootstrap. Evolution 39: 783–791.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Felsenstein J. 1993. PHYLIP (Phylogeny Inference Package), Version 3.5. Department of Genetics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Graser Y., Fari M.el., Vilgalys R., Kuijpers A.F.A., de Hoog G.S., Presber W. et al. 1999. Phylogeny and taxonomy of the family Arthrodermataceae (dermatophytes) using sequence analysis of the ribosomal ITS region. Med. Mycol. 37: 105–114.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kano R., Nakamura Y., Watari T., Watanabe S., Takahashi H., Tsujimoto H. et al. 1997. Phylogenetic analysis of 8 dermatophytes species using chitin synthase 1 gene sequences. Mycoses 40: 411–414.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kano R., Nakamura Y., Watari T., Watanabe S., Takahashi H., Tsujimoto H. et al. 1998. Molecular analysis of chitin synthase 1 (CHS 1) gene sequences of Trichophyton mentagrophytes complex and T. rubrum. Curr. Microbiol. 37: 236–239.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kano R., Nakamura Y., Watanabe S., Tsujimoto H. and Hasegawa A. 1999. Phylogenetic relation of Epidermophyton floccosum to the species of Microsporum and Trichophyton in chitin synthase 1 (CHS1) gene sequences. Mycopathologia 146: 111–113.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nino-Vega G.A., Munro C.A., San-blas G., Gooday G.W. and Gow N.A.R. 1999. Differential expression of chitin synthase gene during temperature-induced dimorphic transitions in Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. Med. Mycol. 38: 31–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Page R.D.M. 1996. TREEVIEW: An application to display phylogenetic trees on personal computers. Comput. Appl. Biosci. 12: 357–358.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chua S.S., Momany M., Mendoza L. and Szanszlo P.J. 1994. Identification of three chitin synthase genes in the dimorphic fungal pathogen Sporothrix schenckii. Curr. Microbiol. 29: 151–156.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson J.D., Higgins D.G. and Gibson T.J. 1994. CLUSTAL W: improving the sensitivity of progressive multiple sequence alignment through sequence weighting, positions-specific gap penalties and weight matrix choice. Nucleic Acid Res. 22: 4673–4680.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Weitzman I., McGinnis M.R., Padhye A.A. and Ajello L. 1986. The genus Arthroderma and its later synonym Nannizzia. Mycotaxon 25: 505–518.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rui Kano.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hirai, A., Kano, R., Nakamura, Y. et al. Molecular taxonomy of dermatophytes and related fungi by chitin synthase 1 (CHS1) gene sequences. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek 83, 11–20 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022928811306

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022928811306

Navigation