Purification and some properties of two forms of chitinase from mycelial cells of Mucor rouxii.
Chitinase activity was measured in extracts of mycelial cells of Mucor rouxii as a function of the culture age. There was a peak of specific activity at the mid-exponential phase of growth (10 h), which paralleled chitin synthase activity. An additional peak of chitinase with higher specific activity was detected in 4 h cultures, which coincided with the onset of germination. Purification of chitinase activities from the cytoplasm revealed two enzymes, I and II, with different molecular mass and ionic charge. Antibodies induced with chitinase I did not cross-react with chitinase II. Both enzymes digested nascent chitin preferentially over preformed chitin, yielding diacetylchitobiose as the sole product of hydrolysis.
Pedraza-Reyes
M
M
Instituto de Investigacion en Biologia Experimental, Facultad de Quimica, Universidad de Guanajuato, Mexico.
Lopez-Romero
E
E
D002687:Chitin Synthase / Q000378:metabolism; D002688:Chitinases / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000378:metabolism; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology; D009089:Mucor / Q000201:enzymology*; D013997:Time Factors
D002687:Chitin Synthase; D002688:Chitinases