Chitin deacetylase (CDA) removes the acetyl group from the chitin molecule to generate chitosan in a uniform, high-quality deacetylation pattern. Herein, BaCDA was a novel CDA discovered from our previously isolated strain TCI-16, which was excavated from mangrove soil. The gene was cloned and overexpressed in BL21 (DE3) to facilitate its subsequent purification. The purified recombinant protein BaCDA was obtained at a concentration of about 1.2 mg/mL after Ni affinity chromatography. The molecular weight of BaCDA was around 28 kDa according to the sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis. In addition, BaCDA exhibited a significant deacetylation effect on colloidal chitin, and the deacetylation degree was measured from the initial 25.69 to 69.23% by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation showed that the surface of colloidal chitin after enzymatic digestion was rough, the crystal fibers disappeared, and the chitin structure was loose and porous with grooves. The results of electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) showed that BaCDA had full-deacetylation activity against (GlcNAc). Molecular docking revealed that BaCDA had an open active pocket capable of binding to the GlcNAc unit. This study not only provides a novel enzymatic resource for the green and efficient application of chitin but also helps to deepen the understanding of the catalytic mechanism of CDA.
Chitosan is a promising biopolymer with wide range of applications. It is the deacetylated product of chitin. Commercially, it is produced from chitin via a harsh thermochemical process that has several shortcomings and heterogenous deacetylation product.
School of Chemistry and Life Sciences, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Huqiu District, No. 99 Xuefu Road, Huqiu District, Suzhou City, 215009, Jiangsu Province, P.R. China.
Chitin, a natural organic compound with content slightly lower than cellulose, is also known for chitosan, a substance derived from chitin through deacetylation. In this experiment, preliminary screening was conducted using the plate discoloration circle method, leading to the selection of a high-yield CDA-producing strain from 28 candidates through rescreening. Morphological characteristics and 16S rDNA sequence analysis revealed 99.
Guangxi Key Laboratory for Polysaccharide Materials and Modifications, School of Marine Sciences and Biotechnology, Guangxi Minzu University, No. 158, Daxue Xi Road, Nanning 530008, PR China. Electronic address:
Millions of tons of shrimp and crab waste generated each year contain chitin, which can be efficiently processed using a newly isolated strain of Bacillus paralicheniformis known as GXMU-J23.1.
Genome sequencing of GXMU-J23.1 revealed various enzymes that break down chitin, including chitinase, which showed a significant increase in activity under optimal conditions.
The isolated chitinase, Chi23, operates best at 50°C and pH 5.0, transforming chitin into simpler sugars and offering insights for future enzyme enhancements to improve chitin degradation processes.
Key Laboratory of Surveillance and Management of Invasive Alien Species in Guizhou Education Department, College of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Guiyang University, Guiyang 550005, China.
- Chitin, a key component in insect exoskeletons and internal structures, protects insects from damage and plays an essential role in their growth process, particularly during molting.
- Researchers identified a specific gene related to chitin deacetylases (CDAs) in an invasive insect species, showing that it has high similarities to CDAs in other insects and is most active during the pupal stage.
- Suppressing this gene led to increased mortality and developmental issues during the transition from pupa to adult, indicating that it could be a potential target for pest control strategies.
Chitin polymers are an essential structural component of fungal cell walls, but host chitinases can weaken them, contributing to disease resistance in fungal pathogens. Chitin oligomers thus produced are immunogenic signal molecules eliciting additional disease resistance mechanisms. Fungi may counteract these, e.
