title: Chitinolytic activity of the sheep rumen ciliate Diploplastron affine.
abstract: Supplementation of the rumen ciliate Diploplastron affine growth medium with commercial chitin stimulated growth of ciliates and the density of their population was positively correlated with chitin doses (r = 0.95; p < 0.01). The cell-free extracts prepared from bacteria-free ciliates degraded chitin to N-acetyl-D: -glucosamine and chitobiose. Three exochitinases, two endochitinases and two beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases were identified in the cell-free extract of protozoa. The molar mass of exochitinases was 80, 65 and 30 kDa, and endochitinases 75 and 50 kDa; the molar mass of one of the identified beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases was 45 kDa.
authors.affiliation: The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jablonna, Poland. g.belzecki@ifzz.pan.pl
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bełzecki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Miltko
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Michałowski
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simůnek
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kopecný
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002688:Chitinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D016798:Ciliophora / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism; D012417:Rumen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*; D012756:Sheep / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D002686:Chitin; D002688:Chitinases