title: Production of chitinase by enterotoxigenic Aeromonas species isolated from clinical and environmental sources.
abstract: Thirty-six isolates of Aeromonas, 13 from children and 23 from the environment were tested for production of chitinase in culture supernatants. Thirty-four isolates of the three species (91% clinical and 96% environmental) produced constitutive chitinase. The environmental isolates elaborated significantly more (p < 0.005) of the enzyme than those from the children. Four of the environmental isolates also produced inducible chitinase. All isolates of Aeromonas were enterotoxic, however, the isolates producing inducible chitinase showed significantly higher enterotoxic activity. This study indicates that there is correlation between production of enterotoxin and chitinase in Aeromonas species.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Sanyal
mesh_terms: D000333:Aeromonas / Q000201:enzymology*; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002688:Chitinases / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology*; D004768:Enterotoxins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005399:Fishes / Q000382:microbiology; D005618:Fresh Water; D006801:Humans; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D004768:Enterotoxins; D002688:Chitinases