Disease relevance of chitinase

• The O. volvulus cDNA codes for a 20-amino acid signal peptide followed by 477 residues with an Mr of 54 kDa, and shares 67% identity with the A. viteae chitinase (80% similarity allowing for conservative substitutions) and 69% identity with the B. malayi MF1 molecule [1].
• This is the first report on the molecular characterization of a chitinase from a single nucleocapsid NPV [2].
• A putative chitinase gene was identified within the fragment EcoRI-K of the Helicoverpa armigera single-nucleocapsid nucleopolyhedrovirus (HearNPV, also called HaSNPV) genome [2].
• Our results strongly suggest that baculoviruses acquired their chitinase genes from bacteria [2].
• The phylogeny of baculoviral chitinase genes were extensively examined in comparison with chitinases derived from bacteria, fungi, nematode, actinomycetes, viruses, insects and mammals [2].

High impact information on chitinase

• Colonization by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus versiforme induces a defense response against the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita in the grapevine (Vitis amurensis Rupr.), which includes transcriptional activation of the class III chitinase gene VCH3 [3].
• Previously we have described the identification of a chitinase cDNA that is expressed in a stage specific manner by O. volvulus infective third stage (L3) larvae [4].
• In the first trial, mice immunised 3 times over 4 months with 1 microg O. volvulus chitinase DNA responded with modest antibody responses dominated by IgG2a and exhibited a 36% (p=0.189, NS) reduction in parasite survival compared with challenge controls [4].
• The nucleotide sequence codes for a putative signal peptide of 20 amino acids and a mature protein of 504 residues (Mr 56 kDa), exhibiting 69% identity (81% similarity allowing for conservative substitutions) with the MF1 chitinase described from microfilariae of Brugia malayi [1].

References