title: A potent insect chitinase inhibitor of fungal origin.
abstract: A water-soluble polysaccharide was isolated from the culture filtrate of a fungal strain, Sphaeropsis sp. TNPT116-Cz, as a novel insect chitinase inhibitor. It was purified to chromatographic homogeneity by ethanol precipitation, anion-exchange and gel filtration chromatography. Its molecular weight was estimated to be 16 kDa by gel filtration HPLC. Monosaccharide analysis showed that it contained glucose, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine and a deoxysugar. This polysaccharide showed potent and specific inhibitory activity against Spodoptera litura chitinase with an IC50 value of 28 nM.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Bioresources Chemistry, Faculty of Agriculture, Okayama University, Tsushima-naka 1-1-1, Okayama 700-8530, Japan. nitoda@cc.okayama-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Teruhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nitoda
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Usuki
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kanzaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002688:Chitinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007313:Insecta / Q000201:enzymology; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D003904:Mitosporic Fungi / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000145:classification; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D011134:Polysaccharides; D002688:Chitinases