A membrane-bound chitinase from cell wall fractions of the anaerobic ruminal fungus, Piromyces communis OTS1, was purified by affinity chromatography, gel filtration, and chromatofocusing. The molecular size of the chitinase was estimated by gel filtration to be 42.4 kDa and by SDS-PAGE to be 44.8 kDa, and its pI was 4.4. Activity was inhibited by Hg2+ and allosamidin. The activity at 39 degrees C was greatest at pH 6.0. It had an 'endo' type action. Solubilization tests indicated that plasmalemma-bound chitinase was held in place by an electrostatic type interaction. Characterization of the membrane-bound chitinase was more similar to that of extracellular chitinase than cytosolic chitinase. This suggested that membrane-bound chitinase was the origin of extracellular chitinase.
An autolysis chitinase was purified from the cultural medium of the anaerobic fungus Piromyces communis OTS1 by ammonium sulfate precipitation, affinity chromatography with regenerated chitin, chromato-focusing, gel filtration, and chromato-focusing again. The optimal pH and temperature were 6.0 and 50 degrees C, respectively, for a 20-min assay. The chitinase was stable from pH 6.0 to 8.0, but was unstable at 70 degrees C for 20 min. The molecular mass of chitinase was estimated by SDS-PAGE to be 44.9 kDa, and its pI was 4.4. The enzyme activity, which was of the 'endo' type, was inhibited by Hg2+ and allosamidin. The chitinase hydrolyzes chitin powder and fungal cell walls at a higher rate than an artificial chitin substrate. It can be concluded that extracellular chitinase is similar to cytosolic chitinase, but they are not the same protein.
A chitinase was purified from the cytosolic fraction of the anaerobic rumen fungus Piromyces communis OTS1 by affinity chromatography using regenerated chitin, gel filtration and chromatofocusing. The chitinase was most active at pH 6.2 and at 60 degrees C in a 20-min assay. The molecular mass of the purified protein was estimated by SDS-PAGE to be 42 kDa and its pI was 4.9. The enzyme activity, which was of the 'endo' type, was inhibited by Ag+, Hg2+ and allosamidin. N-Acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase and 'exo' type chitinase activity were absent from the purified preparation.
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