• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.26-31
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• 1999

The advantages of the organism Streptomycs griseus HUT 6037 is that the chitinase and chitosanase using chitinaceouse substrate are capable of hydrolyzing both amorphous and crystalline chitin and chitosan. We attempted to investigate the optimization of induction protocol for high-level production and secretion of chitosanase and the influence of chitin and partially deacetylated chitosan sources (75∼99% deacetylation). The maximum specific activity or chitinase has been found at 5 days cultivation with the 48 hours induction time using colloidal chitin as a carbon source. To investigate characteristic of chitosan activity according to substrate, we used chitosan with various degree of deacetylation as a carbon source and found that this strain accumulates chitosanase in the culture medium using chitosanaceous substrates rather than chitinaceous substrates. The highest chitosanase activity was also presented on 4 days with 99% deacetylated chitosan. The partially 53% deacetylated chitosan can secrete both chitinase and chitosanase which was defined as a soluble chitosan. The specific activities of chitinase and chitosanase were 0.89 at 3 days and 1.33 U/mg protein at 5 days, respectively. It indicate that chitosanase obtained from S. griseus HUT 6037 can hydrolyze GlcNAc-GlcN and GlcN-GlcN linkages by exo-splitting manner. This activity increased with increasing degree of deacetylation of chitosan. It is the first attempted to investigate the effects of chitosanase on various degrees of deacetylations of chitosan by S. griseus HUT 6037. The highest specific activity of chitosanase was obtained with 99% deacetylated chitosan.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.18-24
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• 2001

The advantage of using Streptomyces griseus HUT 6037 in the production of chitinase or chitosanase is that the organism is capable of hydrolyzing amorphous or crystalline chitin and chitosan according to the type of the substrate used. We investigated the effects of the enzyme induction time and chitin sources, CM-chitosan and deacetylated chitosan (degree of deacetylation 75-99%), on production of chitosanase. We found that this strain accumulated chitosanase when cells were grown in the culture medium containing chitosanaceous substrates instead of chitinaceous substrates. The highest chitosanase activity was obtained at 4 dyas of cultivation with 99% deacetylated chitosan. The specific activities of chitinase and chitosanase were 0.91 and 1.33 U/mg protein at 3 and 5 days, respectively. From the study of the enzymatic digestibility of various degrees of deacetylated chitosan, it was found that (GlcN)$_3$, (GlcN)$_4$and (GlcN)(sub)5 were produced during the enzymatic hydrolysis reaction. The results of this study suggested that the sugar composition of (GlcN)$_3$was homogeneous and those of (GlcN)$_4$and (GlcN)(sub)5 were heterogeneous.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.337-343
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• 2004

A bacterial strain concurrently producing extracellular chitosanase and chitinase was isolated from soil and identified as a member of the $\beta$-subgroup of Proteobacteria through its 16S rRNA analysis and some biochemical analyses. The newly discovered strain, named as KNU3, had 99% homology of its 16S rRNA sequence with chitinolytic $\beta$-Proteobacterium CTE108. Strain KNU3 produced 34 kDa of chitosanase in addition to two chitinases of 68 kDa and 30 kDa, respectively. The purified chitosanase protein (ChoK) showed activity toward soluble, colloidal, and glycol chitosan, but did not exhibit any activity toward colloidal chitin. The optimum pH and temperature of ChoK were 6.0 and $70^{\circ}C$, respectively. The chitosanase was stable in the pH 4.0 to 8.0 range at $70^{\circ}C$, while enzyme activity was relatively stable at below $45^{\circ}C$. MALDI-TOF MS and N-terminal amino acid sequence analyses indicated that ChoK protein is related to chitosanases from Matsuebacter sp. and Sphingobacterium multivorum. HPLC analysis of chitosan lysates revealed that glucosamine tetramers and hexamers were the major products of hydrolysis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.21 no.12
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• pp.1312-1321
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• 2011

Enzyme extracts of cellulase [filter paper cellulase (FPase) and carboxymethyl cellulase (CMCase)], chitinase, and chitosanase produced by Aspergillus niger NRRL-567 were evaluated. The interactive effects of initial moisture and different inducers for FP cellulase and CMCase production were optimized using response surface methodology. Higher enzyme activities [FPase $79.24{\pm}4.22$ IU/gram fermented substrate (gfs) and CMCase $124.04{\pm}7.78$ IU/gfs] were achieved after 48 h fermentation in solid-state medium containing apple pomace supplemented with rice husk [1% (w/w)] under optimized conditions [pH 4.5, moisture 55% (v/w), and inducers veratryl alcohol (2 mM/kg), copper sulfate (1.5 mM/kg), and lactose 2% (w/w)] (p<0.05). Koji fermentation in trays was carried out and higher enzyme activities (FPase $96.67{\pm}4.18$ IU/gfs and CMCase $146.50{\pm}11.92$ IU/gfs) were achieved. The nonspecific chitinase and chitosanase activities of cellulase enzyme extract were analyzed using chitin and chitosan substrates with different physicochemical characteristics, such as degree of deacetylation, molecular weight, and viscosity. Higher chitinase and chitosanase activities of $70.28{\pm}3.34$ IU/gfs and $60.18{\pm}3.82$ to $64.20{\pm}4.12$ IU/gfs, respectively, were achieved. Moreover, the enzyme was stable and retained 92-94% activity even after one month. Cellulase enzyme extract obtained from A. niger with chitinolytic and chitosanolytic activities could be potentially used for making low-molecular-weight chitin and chitosan oligomers, having promising applications in biomedicine, pharmaceuticals, food, and agricultural industries, and in biocontrol formulations.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.72-78
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• 2001

It is possible ot prepare protoplasts of the zygomycete fungus, Phycomyces blakesleeanus, by digesting the cell wall of spore germlings with commercially available chitinase and chitosanase. However, the cells without any cell walls immediately form large aggregates, and thus, it is difficult to isolate the individually separated protoplasts. Inherent problem with the formation of aggregates in preparing protoplasts could be solved by the use of bovine serum albumin (BSA). As a result, we were able to prepare a large number of single protoplsts quickly and easily. We took time-lapse photomicrographs of the formation of protoplasts, and found that there were certain regions of the cell wall of spore germlings that were sensitive to chitinase and chitosanase, although the cell wall of the original spores is known to be insensitive to these enzymes. There are two kinds of cell walls on a spore germling; one with a bound wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), and the other a bound concanavalin A (ConA). Furthermore, only cells with walls which had bound WGA were able to regenerate, while those with walls with bound ConA were not able to regenerate.

• 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.

• BMB Reports
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.310-315
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• 2001

The uneven distribution of acidic and basic chitinases in different parts of rice seed, and also the characterization of hull-specific chitinases, are reported here. After extraction of chitinases from polished rice, bran, and rice hulls, the chitinases were separated into acidic and basic fractions, according to their behavior on an anion exchanger column. Both fractions from different parts of rice seed showed characteristic activity bands on SDS-PAGE that contained 0.01% glycol chitin. The basic chitinases from rice hulls were further purified using chitin affinity chromatography. The chitinase, specific to rice hulls (RHBC), was 88-fold purified with a 1.3% yield. RHBC has an apparent molecular weight of 22.2 kDa on SDS-PAGE. The optimal pH and temperature were 4.0 and $35^{\circ}C$, respectively. With [$^3H$]chitin as a substrate, RHBC has $V_{max}$ of 13.51 mg/mg protein/hr and $K_m$ of 1.36 mg/ml. This enzyme was an endochitinase devoid of ${\beta}$-1,3-glucanase, lysozyme, and chitosanase activities.

• 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.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.218-223
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• 1993

Conditions for the release and regeneration of protoplasts form Rhizopus oryzae and intergeneric protoplast fusion between Rhizopus oryzae and Aspergillus oryzae were studied. High yields of protoplast fusion between Rhizopus oryzae and Aspergillus oxyzae were studied. High yield of protoplasts from young germilings of R. oryzae were obtained by using lytic enzymes containing chitosanase (3 mg/ml), chitinase (3 mg/ml) and Novozym 234 (5 mg/ml). 0.5M glucose was used as the osmotic stabilizer and optimum pH of buffer was determined to be pH 7.5-8.0. Under these conditions, protoplasts were formed after about 3-4 hrs incubation. Approximately, 1.0%-4.9% of these protoplasts were formed after about 3-4 hrs incubation. Approximately, 1.0%-4.9% of these protoplasts regenerated on solid medium with a soft agar overlay. We have also carried out protoplasts fusion between R. oryzae and A. oryzae and have succeeded in obtaining three types of intergeneric fusants. In these experiments, 35% PEG-4000 and 10 mM CaCl$_{2}$ were used as fsogenic agents, and auxotrophic properties were used as a genetic marker to select fusants. Complementation frequency be protoplasts fusion of A. oxyzae and R. oryzae was 4.4% * 10$^{-5}$ . The fusant strains of the first type were prototrophs showing an Aspergillus type morphology with dark-yellow sporulation, those of the second type were also Apergillus type morphology but showed no sporulation. And the strains of the third type stopped growing when fusion products grown on regeneration minimal medium were transferred to fresh minimal medium. The formation of fusion products was observed by fluorescent vital stains for complementary labelling of protoplats from R. oryzae and A. oryzae. Rhodamine 6G and fluorescein diacetate wer useful complementary vital stains of Rhizopus and Aspergillus protoplasts for visualization of requency and type (dicell, multicell) of fusion.