SCREENING, ISOLATION, AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CHITINASE FROM MARINE BACTERIA

• Main Author: NURCHAEDI (NIM: 20507009), IMAN
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/12242
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Chitin -the second largest polysaccharides in the world after cellulose- consist of N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc) as monomer linked by B-1,4-glicosidic bonds. In nature, chitin is found in complex with calcium ion and structural protein to form cuticle of shells, crabs, or shrimps. Chitin contents of cuticles may vary from 10% in shells, 15–20% in shrimps, to 30% in crabs. Enzyme catalyzing chitin degradation is called chitinase. The enzyme hydrolyzes chitin into chitobiose, followed by chitobiohydrolase that degrade chitobiose to GlcNAc. Biosynthesis of chitin is taken part of exoskeletal organisms, but the degradation of chitin is taken part of bacteria living in the ocean. The bacteria degrade chitins and use it as main carbon sources. Marine bacteria producing chitinase have been known including Alteromonal sp. strain O-7, Pseudomonas sp., V. Furnissi, V. anguillarum, Microbulbifer degradans, and V. proteoliticum. <br />