Chitinase activity, detection

Trudel, J. and Asselin, A. (1989) Detection of chitinase activity after polacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Analytical Biochemistry 178, 362-366. 

Allosamidin, one of the typical secondary metabolites, is isolated from streptomyces using chitinase inhibitors. It can promote the production of chitinase detected in the culture by filtrate, and chitin hydrolytic activity was inhibited by allosamidin. These results suggest that allosamidin acts as a key signal molecule for chitinase production, which may be useful for its growth in the chitin-rich... 

The studies mentioned and many others have used widely diverse methods of detecting hydrolytic activity on chitin (Table 1). Many note activity by disappearance of substrate v ile others focus on end product analysis. Both types offer advantages but often lack definitive results. Many techniques fail to separate products of chitinase from chitobiase activity or other polysaccharidases. In the present study an aquatic isolate, tentatively identified as CDC group EF-4a, was examined by various techniques to identify its chitinolytic ability and its use as a model of enzymatic activity in the environment. 

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