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Published on: February 27, 2021
Structure and function of enzymes acting on chitin and chitosan
Vincent Eijsink1, Ingunn Hoell, Gustav Vaaje-Kolstada
1Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Norway.
Abstract:
Enzymatic conversions of chitin and its soluble, partially deacetylated derivative chitosan are of great interest. Firstly, chitin metabolism is an important process in fungi, insects and crustaceans. Secondly, such enzymatic conversions may be used to transform an abundant biomass to useful products such as bioactive chito-oligosaccharides. Enzymes acting on chitin and chitosan are abundant in nature. Here we review current knowledge on the structure and function of enzymes involved in the conversion of these polymeric substrates: chitinases (glycoside hydrolase families 18 & 19), chitosanases (glycoside hydrolase families 8, 46, 75 & 80) and chitin deacetylases (carbohydrate esterase family 4).
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