title: N-acetyl glucosamine obtained from chitin by chitin degrading factors in Chitinbacter tainanesis.
abstract: A novel chitin-degrading aerobe, Chitinibacter tainanensis, was isolated from a soil sample from southern Taiwan, and was proved to produce N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG). Chitin degrading factors (CDFs) were proposed to be the critical factors to degrade chitin in this work. When C. tainanensis was incubated with chitin, CDFs were induced and chitin was converted to NAG. CDFs were found to be located on the surface of C. tainanensis. N-Acetylglucosaminidase (NAGase) and endochitinase activities were found in the debris, and the activity of NAGase was much higher than that of endochitinase. The optimum pH of the enzymatic activity was about 7.0, while that of NAG production by the debris was 5.3. These results suggested that some factors in the debris, in addition to NAGase and endochitinase, were crucial for chitin degradation.
authors.affiliation: Environment and Biotechnology Department, Refining and Manufacturing Research Institute, CPC Corporation, Taiwan, Chia-yi, Taiwan; E-Mail: 078450@cpc.com.tw (J.-K.C.); 075345@cpc.com.tw (B.-S.F.); 076538@cpc.com.tw (T.-L.H.).
authors.forename: Jeen-Kuan
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Chia-Rui
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Chao-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Bing-Shiun
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Tung-Li
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Chao-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000117:Acetylglucosamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000378:metabolism; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020562:Betaproteobacteria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002686:Chitin / Q000378:metabolism*; D002688:Chitinases / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D002686:Chitin; D002688:Chitinases; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase; D000117:Acetylglucosamine