Elucidation of the role of aromatic amino acid residues in crystalline chitin hydrolysis and development to the mechanism of a-chitin hydrolysis

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24580104
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied microbiology
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: WATANABE TAKESHI 新潟大学, 自然科学系, 教授 (10201203)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): IGARASHI Kiyohiko 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科, 准教授 (80345181) ; SUZUKI Kazushi 新潟大学, 自然科学系, 准教授 (00444183) ; SUGIMOTO Hayuki 新潟大学, 自然科学系, 助教 (60529527)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: キチナーゼ / 結晶性キチン分解 / Serratia marcescens / 高速原子間力顕微鏡 / 芳香族アミノ酸残基

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Chitin is a crystalline and rigid structural polysaccharide present in a variety of organisms. Elucidation of the mechanism underlying in the enzymatic degradation of crystalline chitin is very important not only from enzymological and biological view points, but also for utilization of biomass resources. In this study, critical roles of the aromatic amino acid residues, which are present on the surface of chitinase molecule and inside of its catalytic cleft, in processive hydrolysis of crystalline chitin was demonstrated.

Free Research Field

応用微生物学