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Chitin Biosynthesis and Morphogenetic Processes

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Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Part of the book series: The Mycota ((MYCOTA,volume 3))

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Abstract

The polysaccharide chitin is one of the most abundant substances of biological origin. It is a very important component of the exoskeleton of many different living organisms and can be considered the equivalent of cellulose in the plant kingdom. Chitin is a component of fungal cell walls, universally present in Mycota. The cell wall is the exoskeleton of fungal cells and the integrity of this structure is essential for their survival (for a review, see Orlean 1997). It is responsible for the shape of the fungal cell and mediates its interaction with the surrounding environment in a dynamic way (Klis et al. 2002). Owing to its role in the generation and maintenance of cell shape, chitin is of great importance in fungal growth and physiology and offers a very useful model for the study of morphogenetic processes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Instituto de Microbiología Bioquímica, CSIC, Universidad de Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, 37007, Salamanca, Spain

    C. Roncero

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  1. M.-H. Valdivieso
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  2. Á. Durán
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  3. C. Roncero
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Biology, University of Minnesota, 250 Biological Science Center, 1445 Gortner Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, 55108, USA

    Robert Brambl

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Ohio State University, 776 Biological Sciences, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    George A. Marzluf

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Valdivieso, MH., Durán, Á., Roncero, C. (2004). Chitin Biosynthesis and Morphogenetic Processes. In: Brambl, R., Marzluf, G.A. (eds) Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The Mycota, vol 3. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-06064-3_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-06064-3_14

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-07652-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-662-06064-3

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