MOLECULAR ANALYSIS OF CHITIN SYNTHASE-1 (CHS1) GENE-SEQUENCES OF TRICHOPHYTON-MENTAGROPHYTES COMPLEX AND T-RUBRUM

Nucleotide sequences of chitin synthase 1 (CHS1) gene of dermatophytes , Arthroderma benhamiae, A. simii, A. vanbreuseghemii, Trichophyton me ntagrophytes var. interdigitale (T. interdigitale), and T. rubrum were analyzed for their phylogenetic relationship. About 620-bp genomic DN A fragments of the CHS1 gene were amplified from these dermatophytes b y polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. The CHS1 nucleotide s equences of these five dermatophytes showed more than 90% similarity b etween the species. The phylogenetic analysis of their sequences revea led that A. benhamiae, A. simii, A. vanbreuseghemii, and T. rubrum wer e genetically distinct from one another, but I: interdigitale was gene tically very close to A. vanbreuseghemii. On the other hand, a specifi c restriction endonuclease site of HinfI was present in the CHS1 gene fragment of T. rubrum but not in those of A. benhamiae, A. simii, A. v anbreuseghemii and T interdigitale. The molecular analysis nf CHS1 gen es will provide useful information for the identification of these Tri chophyton species and the understanding of their evolution.