title: Structure and function of enzymes acting on chitin and chitosan.
abstract: Enzymatic conversions of chitin and its soluble, partially deacetylated derivative chitosan are of great interest. Firstly, chitin metabolism is an important process in fungi, insects and crustaceans. Secondly, such enzymatic conversions may be used to transform an abundant biomass to useful products such as bioactive chito-oligosaccharides. Enzymes acting on chitin and chitosan are abundant in nature. Here we review current knowledge on the structure and function of enzymes involved in the conversion of these polymeric substrates: chitinases (glycoside hydrolase families 18 & 19), chitosanases (glycoside hydrolase families 8, 46, 75 & 80) and chitin deacetylases (carbohydrate esterase family 4).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Eijsink
authors.forename: Ingunn
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hoell
authors.forename: Gustav
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vaaje-Kolstada
mesh_terms: D000581:Amidohydrolases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002688:Chitinases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D048271:Chitosan / Q000378:metabolism*; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013302:Streptomyces / Q000201:enzymology*; D014242:Trichoderma / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D002686:Chitin; D048271:Chitosan; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; C019868:chitosanase; D002688:Chitinases; D000581:Amidohydrolases; C019866:chitin deacetylase