title: Chitinolytic activity in viable spores of Encephalitozoon species.
abstract: By employing 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-NN',N"-triacetylchitotriose substrate in a semi quantitative assay, chitinolytic activity in viable spores of Encephalitozoon cuniculi and E. intestinalis was detected and dependence on reaction time, spore concentration, concentration of substrate and temperature were demonstrated. It was possible to block the chitinolytic activity by chitin hydrolysate. By incubation at 80 degrees C for 10 min or at 55 degrees C for 20 min the spores were loosing the chitinolytic activity. Incubation of the spores in trypsin reduced the chitinolytic activity. Cellulase activity could not be detected.
authors.affiliation: Section of Parasitology, Bernhard-Nocht-Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schottelius
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hünger
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schüler
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Gonçalves da Costa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002480:Cellulase / Q000378:metabolism; D002688:Chitinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D016819:Encephalitozoon / Q000201:enzymology*; D013170:Spores / Q000201:enzymology; D014357:Trypsin / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D002688:Chitinases; D002480:Cellulase; D014357:Trypsin