• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.44 no.4
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• pp.470-478
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• 2016

A bacterium producing a large amount of chitinolytic enzyme was isolated from the intestinal tract of earthworm. The isolate was identified as Bacillus licheniformis by 16S ribosomal RNA analysis and designated as B. licheniformis GA9. The enzyme was purified by 40-60% ammonium sulfate precipitation, diethyl-aminoethyl groups exchange chromatography, and gel filtration chromatography. The molecular weight was estimated to be 52.1 kDa and the N-terminal amino acid sequence was D-S-G-K-N-G-K-I-I-R-Y-YP-I-R. The optimum activity of the purified chitinolytic enzyme was shown at pH 5.0 and $40^{\circ}C$, and the enzyme was stable in the ranges of $20-50^{\circ}C$ and pH 5.0-6.0. Enzyme activity was increased by $Co^{2+}$, while it was inhibited by $Cu^{2+}$ and $Fe^{2+}$. But it was recovered by chelating metals with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The $K_m$ and $V_{max}$ values of the purified enzyme were 4.02 mg/ml and 0.52 mg/min, respectively. The chitinolytic enzyme characterized in this study has potential applications in areas such as biotechnology, biomedicine, agriculture, and nutrition.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.95-100
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• 1997

This study was aimed to survey inexpensive and reliable sources of chitinase from the animal origin. The stomach and its content of the broiler, the cod, the yellowtail and ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ from snail gut showed a considerable chitinolytic activity, while those of the bas didn't have any detectable activity. These crude enzymes was found to have both endo- and exochitinase activity. The effects of pH and temperature on the enzyme activity were variable. The hydrolytic products of colloidal chitin by the enzyme preparation from the broiler and the cod were chitooligomers having the degree of polymerization between 3 and 5. Furthermore we observed the chitosanolytic activity from these enzymes. In the degradation of chitosan the chyme of the broiler had the highest activity and ${\beta}-glucuronidase$ from snail gut followed. On the basis of the fact that the by-product of the broiler was not only commercially available but also the most potent in the endochitinase activity and the lowest in the exochitinase activity, we conclude that the gizzard and its chyme are considered as the most suitable source of the industrial chitinase among animals studied in this paper.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.357-362
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• 1994

Chitinases and $\beta$-1,3-glucanases are believed to be important in defending plane against pathogens. Here, we investigated the expression of chitinase(s) in Arabidopsis thaliana cell suspension culture system in response to ethephon (2-chloroethyl phosphonic acid) which produces ethylene or a microbial elicitor, a bacterial pectin-degrading enzyme, $\beta$-1, 4-endopolygalactronic acid Iyase (PGA Iyase), treatment. Chitinase activity was measured either by radio chemical assay using $^3$H-labeled regenerated chitin as substrate or western blot analysis using antibody raised against tobacro chitinase(S). With 1 mg/mL of ethephon or 100 m units/mL of elicitor treatment, maximum levels of activity were reached after 48h. We also investigated distribution of chitinase activity in seedlings, leaves, and root of A. thaliana and found that root have the highest chitinase activity.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.11
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• pp.1617-1624
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• 2008

Chitin and chitosan, which is deacetylated form of chitin, are one of the most abundant biomass on the earth. They showed various biological activities including antimicrobial activity, heavy metal chelating, immune system activation, and have very diverse applications in food, pharmaceutical, medicinal, and environmental industry. There have been reported many chitin/chitosan-hydrolyzing enzymes, their structures and genes from three domains, archaea, bacteria, and eukarya. Carbohydrate hydrolyzing enzymes are classified in CAZy (Carbohydrate Active Enzymes) database according to their amino acid sequence similarity. Interestingly, chitinases and chitosanases are classified in various glycosyl hydrolase(GH) families, GH2, GH5, GH7, GH8, GH18, GH19, GH20, GH46, GH48, GH73, GH75, GH80, GH84, and GH85. Here, we review characteristics and structures of chitin/chitosan hydrolyzing enzymes according to glycosyl hydrolase families in order to provide information about gene mining.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.466-471
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• 1996

The survey on the chitinolytic activity of some plants was performed for the purpose of obtaining some reliable and inexpensive sources of chitinase. Rice, soybean for sprouting, kiwi fruit, almond and crude papain were investigated. Rice bran, seed coat of the soybean and the pericarp of kiwi fruit showed a considerable activity, while the bean after the removal of the seed coat, the mixture of rice integument and endosperm, polished rice, and defatted soybean powder didn't have any detectable activity. These crude enzymes have shown to contain both endo- and exochitinase activity. The effects of pH and temperature on the enzyme activity were variable. Furthermore we have observed the chitosanolytic activity from these enzyme Preparations. The rice bran had the highest activity in the enzymatic degradation of chitosan, and seed coat of soybean and the pericarp of kiwi fruit followed. On the basis of the fact that crude papain was not only commercially available but also the most potent in the endochitinase activity and the lowest in the exochitinase activity, we could conclude that crude papain was considered as the most suitable source of the chitinase among plants studied in this paper. In addition, rice bran was worth further investigation from the point of utilizing agricultural by-product.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.8 no.6
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• pp.627-637
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• 1998

In order to utilize tuna pyloric caeca among fish intestines wasted when treated raw fish in fish processing manufactory, a crude enzyme with high proteolytic activity was extracted and its optimum condition were investigated. An immobilized enzymes also were prepared by adsorption method to enhance thermostability of the crude proteinase. The yield of the crude proteinase was approximately 2.7% on dry basis. The proteolytic activity for casein was 0.54 U/mg protein, for BTEE 1.10 U/mg protein, and for BAEE 2.69 U/mg protein. It was almost similar to that of the commercial trypsin purified. Optimum hydrolysis activity of the crude proteinase was about 80%, as the degree of hydrolysis for casein, at pH 10.0 and 45$^{\circ}C$ for 12 hrs. Also, when the crude proteinase was immobilized on DEAE-Cellulose and chitin, the residual activities remained after 7 days of pre-incubation time were maintained about 90% or more and their thermostabilities were enhanced by about 50%, compared with the native enzyme.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.147-154
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• 1998

Enzymatic hydrolysis using an immobilized enzyme was carried out to produce chitosan oligosaccharides (COSs) from chitosan effectively. Chitosanase was immobilized on eight different carriers by physical adsorption. The enzyme immobilized on chitin had higher activity than those immobilized on the other carriers in spite of its lower adsorption. The activity of chitin-immobilized enzyme was more than 90% of the original activity. Optimal temperature of the immobilized enzyme increased by about $15^{\circ}C$ and its thermostability was excellent in relatively wide range of temperature. But its effects of pH did not improve compared to the free enzyme. The immobilized enzyme produced 153 mg/g chitosan of the reducing sugar for 3hrs of hydrolytic incubation time. The total content of higher oligomers, tetramer to hexamer, among amount of total COSs obtained for 2hrs was more than 90%. In kinetic parameters for both enzymes, immobilized enzyme showed lower affinity for substrate and reaction rate than free enzyme, however, no reduction of the rate for high substrate concentrations. Consequently, chitin-immobilized could effectively hydrolyse chitosan and produce the higher COSs without activity decrease in comparison with the free enzyme.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.387-394
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• 2009

This study was carried out to screen and identify the chitinase and chitosanase producing microorganisms from the feces of calves medicated DFM sincluding chitin in order to do the immune fortification of Korean Native calves. Ten isolates were grown in the medium containing chitin and chitosan that had more than $10^5$ cfu/g in feces. Among these 10 strains, 2 strains (HANDI 110 and HANDI 309) had the chitinase activities and 2 strains (HANWOO and HANYOO) had the chitosanase activities in calves' feces. They showed no reaction in hemolysis tests by utilizing chitin and chitosan. The results from morphological, physicochemical and genetical identification indicated the HANDI 110 as a strain of Escherichia fergusonii, HANDI 309 was identified as a strain of Acinetobacter parvus, HANWOO was identified as a strain of Comamonas koreensis, and HANYOO as a strain of Chryseobacterium indologenes.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.53 no.1
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• pp.33-42
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• 2020

In accordance with the recent trend of environmentally friendly agricultural policy, product registration of agricultural chitosan among the organic materials has been displayed in various forms such as soil improving agent, crop growth, and pest control. Chitin production industry is expected to bring competitiveness by producing low-quality and low-cost chitin for agriculture, rather than high-quality and high-cost for food, medical products. Since there are various soil microorganisms that can decompose chitin and chitosan in farm soil where crops are produced, it can be applied usefully to agricultural sites suitably for crop growth and pest control using chitin and chitosan as substrates. The purpose of this study is to compare and analyze the registration status of organic materials companies using chitin and chitosan raw materials in the organic materials information system of the NAQS, and to provide an opportunity to further expand the agricultural use of domestic chitin and chitosan.

• Korean Journal of Plant Tissue Culture
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.95-99
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• 1995

We have previously established a system for plant regeneration through somatic embryogenesis and Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Korean ginseng. In this study to produce a fungus-resistant plant, we introduced a bean chitinase gene into ginseng using the transformation system. A binary vector pChi/748 was constructed by introducing the bean basic chitinase gene into EcoRI site of pGA748 which carries the CaMV 35S promoter governing the introduced gene and neomycin phosphotransferase II(NPT-II)gene as a positive selection marker. Cotyledonary explants were cocultured with A. tumefaciens strain LBA4404 harboring the binary vertor pChi/748 for 48 h, and transferred to MS medium supplemented with l mg/L2,4-D,0.1mg/L kinetin, 100 mg/L kanamycin, and 500mg/L carbenicillin. Kanamycin-resistant calli were formed on the cut surface of cotyledonary explants after one month of culture, and subsequently they gave rise to somatic embryos. Upon transfer onto medium containing 1 mg/L each of BA and GA$_3$, most of them converted to plantlets after 5 weeks of culture. The genomic DNA of eight kanamycin-resistant regenerants was subjected to polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using two specific 21-mer oligonucleotides derived from the chitinase gene. PCR-Southern blot analysis confirmed that the chitinase gene was incorporated into six out of the eight regenerants..