Chitinase in Goat Serum

Abstract

1. A glycol‐chitin‐splitting enzyme without lysozyme (muramidase) activity was found in serum from various animals. Goat, cow, hen, sheep and pig possessed high activity. No activity was found in serum from man, monkey, horse, dog, cat, rabbit, guinea‐pig or hamster. 2. Glycol chitin has been used as a substrate in purification and characterization. A viscosimetric assay with the use of this substrate was found to be a convenient method. 3. By means of ammonium sulphate fractionation of goat serum and subsequent gel chromatography a 100‐fold purification of the enzyme was obtained. 4. The purified enzyme has its optimal activity around pH 1.65 with glycol chitin as a substrate and, when incubated at 50 °C for 60 min, the optimal stability is in the pH interval 3.5–6.5. The pI determined by isoelectric focusing is 4.85 and the molecular weight assessed by gel chromatography is around 60000. 5. The purified goat serum enzyme degrades colloidal chitin with an optimum at pH 5.5 and is thus defined as a chitinase. Goat anti‐human lysozyme serum does not inhibit the purified chitinase. 6. To elucidate the origin of the serum chitinase, the concentration of the enzyme was determined in various organ tissues and body fluids. The highest activity with the exception of serum was found in the wall of the fourth stomach of goat and cow.

Malaria parasite chitinase and penetration of the mosquito peritrophic membrane.

“…As chicken serum contains chitinase (16), it was also important to exclude production of chitinase by contaminating host cells. The chitinase activity in chicken serum has a band of slower mobility in native gels than band 1 and another one between parasite bands 2 and 3 (data not shown).…”

Quantitative Changes in Serum Concentration of Bovine Gut Chitinase in Theileria Infection

“…There are some reports showing the existence of chitinase activities in the sera of the goat, guinea pig, and human [10,[12][13][14]. By use of the present immunoblotting, we also tested the possibility that the antibody against bovine gut chitinase could detect protein bands in the plasma of other animal species (Fig.…”

Industrially Important Carbohydrate Degrading Enzymes from Yeasts: Pectinases, Chitinases, and β-1,3-Glucanases

“…Chitinase level is shown to be high in goat and bovine blood serum. This might be a function of slow renal secretion which keeps the enzyme level comparatively low in case of abnormal lysozyme production (monocyticmyelomonocytic leukemias and renal diseases) (Lundblad et al, 1974 ).…”