What is colloidal chitin?
Chitin is a polysaccharide which is found widely in nature, where it functions in a manner similar to collagen in chordates. It forms the tough fibrous exoskeletons of insects, crustaceans and other arthropods, and, in addition to its presence in some fungi, it occurs in at least one alga.
What is the substrate of chitinase?
TABLE 4
| Substrate | % Chitinase activity bound |
|---|---|
| Purified crab shell chitin | 100 |
| Chitin azure | 100 |
| Colloidal chitin | 100 |
| Chitosan | 25 |
What is the function of chitinase?
Chitinases are enzymes that degrade chitin. Chitinases contribute to the generation of carbon and nitrogen in the ecosystem. Chitin and chitinolytic enzymes are gaining importance for their biotechnological applications, especially the chitinases exploited in agriculture fields to control pathogens.
How do you make chitin?
In industrial processing, chitin is extracted by acid treatment to dissolve the calcium carbonate followed by alkaline solution to dissolve proteins. In addition, a decolorization step is often added in order to remove pigments and obtain a colorless pure chitin.
How do you dissolve chitin flakes?
The colloidal chitin suspension was prepared by dissolving 200 g of ground Crustacean chitin (0-25 mm) in 1.8 liter of conc. HCl. The acid was added to the chitin with stirring and the mixture was allowed to stand at 20°C with intermittent stirring until dissolved (1.5-2 hr).
Where is chitinase found in plants?
Chitinase enzymes produced by different microbial, plant and insect species catalyze the hydrolysis of chitin. Chitinase enzymes target chitin in the peritrophic membrane of the midgut causing a reduction in survival and growth (Kabir et al., 2006).
Is specific activity of chitinase is lower than lipase?
The activities of lipase and chitinase increased in the rotational magnetic field compared to those in the absence of a magnetic field. In the case of lipase, the activity became maximum at a frequency of 5 Hz, whereas in the case of chitinase, it reached maximum at 7 Hz.
What is the use of chitinase in recombinant DNA technology?
Chitinase − Chitinase is a class of enzymes used for the degradation of chitin, which forms a major component of the fungal cell wall. Therefore, to isolate the DNA enclosed within the cell membrane of the fungus, enzyme chitinase is used to break the cell for releasing its genetic material.
Is chitinase a protein?
The chitinase-like-protein, YKL-40, was first discovered in mouse breast cancer cells and named BRP-39. YKL-40 binds chitin, but unlike CHIT1 and AMCase, nearly all studies of this chitinase-like protein focus on its endogenous “chitin independent” effector functions.
Are fingernails chitin?
Chitin is not a protein, but is similar to protein in that they are both polymers. For example, Keratin is the protein in the human body that helps to form hair and nails. However, instead of creating hair or nails, chitin generates a hard outer shell or armor in organisms for protection.