title: Construction and analysis of a bacterial community exhibiting strong chitinolytic activity.
abstract: A stable bacterial community expressing strong chitinolytic activity was constructed by mixing and cultivating chitinolytic bacteria collected from different natural sources. The DNA fragment pattern, after PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) targeting 16S rRNA genes using total DNA prepared from whole cells, indicated that the community was composed of four dominant bacterial species. All four species were isolated on agar medium, and one strain, SAY3, was deduced to be a novel species belonging to a new genus based on the 16S rRNA nucleotide sequence. The other strains showed high similarity in their 16S rRNA sequences to those of previously identified bacteria (Acinetobacter and Microbacterium). Strain SAY3 degraded and utilized larger particles of chitin faster than the community, indicating that it plays an important role in the chitin degradation conferred by the community.
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Biology, Faculty of Textile Science and Technology, Shinshu University, Ueda, Nagano, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Ayabi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fukamachi
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nogawa
authors.forename: Goro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimosaka
mesh_terms: D000150:Acinetobacter / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000192:Actinomycetales / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D002686:Chitin