Abstraet--l. Carboxymethyl-Chitin-Remazol Brilliant Violet (CM-Chitin-RBV) was used for a colorimetric assay of chitinase activity in Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba. Comparison with a reductimetric method by end-product detection was carried out by measuring FPLC elution profiles of krill crude extracts with both assays. Both profiles matched significantly.2. Krill chitinase was highly specific to CM-Chitin-RBV. The assay was characterized by easy handling and a very high sensitivity compared to that of end-product detection. Hydrolysis of CM-Chitin-RBV by N-acetyl-fl-D-glucosaminidase, fl-glucosidase, fl-galactosidase and N-acteyl-muraminidase was negligible.3. The enzyme characteristics ofchitinase from Antarctic krill using CM-Chitin-RBV were: PHop t = 7.5, Top t = 50-55°C, E a = 52.1 kJ' mole -I, K M = 0.07 + 0.01 mg. ml -l.
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