High expression of acidic chitinase and chitin digestibility in the stomach of common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus), an insectivorous nonhuman primate.

ABSTRACT: Chitin is a polymer of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) and a main constituent of insects' exoskeleton. Insects are rich in protein with high energy conversion efficiency. Recently, we have reported that acidic chitinases (Chia) act as digestive enzymes in mouse, pig and chicken (omnivorous) but not in dog (carnivorous) and bovine (herbivorous), indicating that feeding behavior affects Chia expression levels, and determines chitin digestibility in the particular animals. Common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) belongs to New World monkey family and provides a potential bridge between mouse models and human diseases. Common marmoset is an insectivorous nonhuman primate with unknown expression levels and enzymatic functions of the Chia homologue, CHIA. Here, we report that common marmoset highly

SUBMITTER: Tabata E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6336882 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature