Phylogenetic study of Penicillium chrysogenum based on the amino acid sequence analysis of chitin synthase

Abstract

The phylogenetic study of Penicillium chrysogenum was performed based on the amino acid sequence comparison of chitin synthase. Phylogenetic trees were constructed with the deduced amino acid sequences of the highly conserved region of chitin synthase gene fragments amplified by PCR. The BlastP similarity search and the bootstrap analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of chitin synthase from P. chrysogenum with those from other fungi showed a close evolutionary relationship of Penicillium to ascomycetous fungi, especially to genus Aspergillus. The result from bootstrap analysis of the deduced amino acid sequences of the Class II chitin synthase from ascomyceteous fungi supported the usefulness of the Class II chitin synthase for phylogenetic study of filamentous fungi.