Roles of four chitinases (chia, chib, chic, and chid) in the chitin degradation system of marine bacterium Alteromonas sp. strain O-7.

ABSTRACT: Alteromonas sp. strain O-7 secretes four chitinases (ChiA, ChiB, ChiC, and ChiD) in the presence of chitin. To elucidate why the strain produces multiple chitinases, we studied the expression levels of the four genes and proteins, their enzymatic properties, and their synergistic effects on chitin degradation. Among the four chitinases, ChiA was produced in the largest quantities, followed by ChiD, and the production of ChiB and ChiC changed at lower levels than those of ChiA and ChiD. The expression of the chiA, chiB, chiC, and chiD genes was investigated at the transcriptional level. The RNA transcript of chiA was most strongly induced in the presence of chitin, the expression of chiD followed, and the RNA transcripts of chiB and chiC changed at low levels. The hydrolyzing activities of

SUBMITTER: Orikoshi H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1082530 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature