Topic
Chitin
About: Chitin is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 6590 publications have been published within this topic receiving 253993 citations.
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TL;DR: Chitin and chitinolytic enzymes are gaining importance for their biotechnological applications, especially the chitinases exploited in agriculture fields to control pathogens.
Abstract: Chitin, the second most abundant polysaccharide in nature after cellulose, is found in the exoskeleton of insects, fungi, yeast, and algae, and in the internal structures of other vertebrates. 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. Chitinases have a use in human health care, especially in human diseases like asthma. Chitinases have wide-ranging applications including the preparation of pharmaceutically important chitooligosaccharides and N-acetyl D glucosamine, preparation of single-cell protein, isolation of protoplasts from fungi and yeast, control of pathogenic fungi, treatment of chitinous waste, mosquito control and morphogenesis, etc. In this review, the various types of chitinases and the chitinases found in different organisms such as bacteria, plants, fungi, and mammals are discussed.
358 citations
TL;DR: This study suggested for the first time that RNA interference (RNAi) in mosquito larvae is systemic, and demonstrated that the larvae fed on the nanoparticles assembled from AgCHS1 andAgCHS2 dsRNA increased larval susceptibilities to diflubenzuron, and calcofluor white (CF) or dithiothreitol, respectively.
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine whether the expression of two chitin synthase genes, AgCHS1 and AgCHS2, can be repressed by chitosan/AgCHS dsRNA-based nanoparticles through larval feeding in Anopheles gambiae. The AgCHS1 transcript level and chitin content were reduced by 62.8 and 33.8%, respectively, in the larvae fed on chitosan/AgCHS1 dsRNA nanoparticles compared with those of the control larvae fed on chitosan/GFP dsRNA nanoparticles. Our study suggested for the first time that RNA interference (RNAi) in mosquito larvae is systemic, and demonstrated that the larvae fed on the nanoparticles assembled from AgCHS1 and AgCHS2 dsRNA increased larval susceptibilities to diflubenzuron, and calcofluor white (CF) or dithiothreitol, respectively. These results suggest great potential for using such a nanoparticle-based RNAi technology for high-throughput screening of gene functions and for developing novel strategies for pest management.
358 citations
01 Jan 1999
TL;DR: Chitinases of human parasites and their implications as antiparasitic targets and Analytical biochemistry and clinical significance of N-acetyl-ss-D-glucosaminidase and related enzymes are studied.
Abstract: Native, industrial and fossil chitins.- Chitin synthesis.- Biochemistry of chitin synthase.- Chitin biosynthesis and structural organizationin vivo.- Chitin synthases in yeast and fungi.- Function of chitin oligosaccharides in plant and animal development.- Molecular and biochemical aspects of chitin synthesis inhibition.- Characteristics of chitin-binding proteins from streptomycetes.- Chitinases.- Biochemistry of chitinases.- The structure and action of chitinases.- Classification of chitinase modules.- Aggressive and defensive roles for chitinases.- Chitinases in biological control.- Host-parasite interactions: elicitation of defense responses in plants with chitosan.- Inhibitors of chitinases.- Mammalian chitinase-like proteins.- Chitinases of human parasites and their implications as antiparasitic targets.- Analytical biochemistry and clinical significance of N-acetyl-ss-D-glucosaminidase and related enzymes.- Exogenous chitosans.- Biochemistry, histology and clinical uses of chitins and chitosans in wound healing.- Veterinary practice with chitin and chitosan.- Immunological aspects of chitin and chitin derivatives administered to animals.- Clinical and biochemical evaluation of chitosan for hypercholesterolemia and overweight control.- Microparticulate drug delivery systems.- Antimicrobial action of exogenous chitosan.
357 citations
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that a single amino acid substitution in the catalytic center of the 39-kDa isoform of chitotriosidase, which generates a similar sequence to that in HC gp-39, results in a loss of hydrolytic activity and creates the capacity to bind to chitin.
Abstract: In various mammals, enzymatically active and inactive members of family 18 glycosyl hydrolases, containing chitinases, have been identified. In man, chitotriosidase is the functional chitinolytic enzyme, whilst the homologous human cartilage 39-kDa glycoprotein (HC gp-39) does not exhibit chitinase activity and its function is unknown. This study establishes that HC gp-39 is a chitin-specific lectin. It is experimentally demonstrated that a single amino acid substitution in the catalytic centre of the 39-kDa isoform of chitotriosidase, which generates a similar sequence to that in HC gp-39, results in a loss of hydrolytic activity and creates the capacity to bind to chitin. The possible implication of the finding for chitinolytic and chitin-binding proteins that are produced in high quantities by activated macrophages are discussed.
357 citations
TL;DR: Organosoluble derivatives of chitin were prepared and used as precursors for regioselective and quantitative chemical modifications, and the effects of substituents were discussed.
353 citations