Chitinases help degradation of cell walls containing chitin and thus accelerates protoplast formation. It indirectly helps strain improvement and development of new strains which are economically viable for industrial use. Chitinases consist of endochitinase, exochitinase, β-N-acetylglucosaminidases and chitobiases. The endochitinases can be further characterized for better understanding of mechanism of the enzyme reaction. This review covers the recent advances in isolation and characterization of endochitinases and its components, gene encoding sequences and cloning.

T Panda

Department Of Chemical Engineering

K. B. Song

CHITINASE

article

cell wall

enzyme activity

ENZYME ISOLATION

gene sequence

nonhuman

priority journal

TRICHODERMA HARZIANUM

IIT Madras is a public technical and research university located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Founded in 1959, it is recognised as an Institute of National Importance.

IIT Madras has been ranked as the top engineering institute in India for four years in a row by the National Institutional Ranking Framework of the MHRD

It currently offers undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees across 16 disciplines in Engineering, Sciences, Humanities and Management. About 596 faculty belonging to science and engineering departments and centres of the Institute are engaged in teaching, research and industrial consultancy.

IIT Madras

Bioprocess Engineering

A kinetic analysis and optimization of reaction conditions for the enzymatic hydrolysis of chitin using chitinase produced by Trichoderma harzianum NCIM 1185 was carried out. Swollen chitin was used as the substrate for chitinase. The central composite design was followed for this optimization. The required volume ratio of the major reactants for maximum hydrolysis was determined. The pH and temperature optima were found to be 4.75 and 47 °C respectively. K(m) and V(max) for this enzyme were 4.643 kg/m3 and 0.1542 U respectively.

Parameters optimization of chitin hydrolysis by Trichoderma harzianum chitinase under assay conditions

Statistical design was used to determine the optimal levels of medium components, the optimal initial pH of the enzyme production medium, the temperature of fermentation, age of the organism in the slant growth and the age of the inoculum for the production of chitinase in shake flask fermentations. The use of high concentrations of chitin and ammonium sulphate and exclusion of peptone and urea from the medium resulted in the production of higher level of the enzyme. The optimal concentrations of the medium components were 12.5 kg/m3 and 4.2 kg/m3 for the chitin and ammonium sulphate respectively. The effect of the addition of peptone and urea to the optimized medium was studied. The optimal values of initial pH and temperature were 5.6 and 28 °C respectively. The optimal age of the slant and the inoculum were found to be 105 h and 43 h respectively. The highest level of chitinase before optimization of the above variables was 0.054 U which was maximized to the level of 0.197 U.

Optimization of carbon and nitrogen sources in the medium and environmental factors for enhanced production of chitinase by trichoderma harzianum

Efficient synthesis of a large number of viable protoplasts from Trichoderma longibrachiatum (Trichoderma reesei) mycelium has been found to be influenced by a number of factors. In this case, Trichoderma harzianum NCIM 1185 culture filtrate has been used to prepare protoplasts from Trichoderma longibrachiatum QM 9414. A method has been devised to isolate a large number of viable protoplasts from the mycelium. Detailed analysis of different factors affecting the synthesis of protoplasts from T. longibrachiatum has not yet been reported. The most suitable conditions for protoplasting were as follows: age of the organism in slant, 3 days; mycelium age, 20 h; volume of lytic enzymes, 190 ml; mycelial weight (dry equivalent), 1.66 g; time of contact with lytic enzymes, 2 h; temperature of protoplasting, 30°C; phosphate buffer, 25 mm, pH 6.5; KCl as osmotic stabilizer, 0.7 m. Proper spreading of the mycelium in contact with the lytic enzymes was also found to be necessary. © 1992.

Enzyme and Microbial Technology

Studies on critical analysis of factors influencing improved production of protoplasts from Trichoderma reesei mycelium

Current Genetics

Primary structure and expression pattern of the 33-kDa chitinase gene from the mycoparasitic fungus Trichoderma harzianum

Cloning and characterization of a chitinase (CHIT42) cDNA from the mycoparasitic fungus Trichoderma harzianum

Characterization and applications of chitinases from Trichoderma harzianum - A review

Journal	Bioprocess Engineering
ISSN	0178515X
Open Access	No