title: Chitinolytic activity of actinomycetes from a cerrado soil and their potential in biocontrol.
abstract: The crude enzyme extracts from five actinomycetes selected from a cerrado soil presented very good endochitinolytic activity when compared to a commercial chitinase. Exochitinase and chitobiase activities were also detected. They were identified as Streptomyces, but could not be characterized to species level, probably corresponding to new ones. The crude extracts, obtained from growth on fungal mycelium plus chitin of three of the strains, have shown a very pronounced activity against phytopathogenic fungi. In tests using growing cells, all five strains were active. These data suggest that these strains are potential biocontrol agents.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Semêdo
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Soares
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Alviano
authors.forename: L F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Linhares
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Coelho
mesh_terms: D000898:Antibiosis; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism; D002688:Chitinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000254:growth & development*; D010572:Pest Control, Biological; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013302:Streptomyces / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D002686:Chitin; D002688:Chitinases