Quantitative production of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose from crystalline chitin by bacterial chitinase

摘要

Finely powdered #alpha#- and #beta#-chitin can be completely hydrolyzed with chitinase (EC 3.2.1.14) and #beta#-N-acetylhexosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.52) for the production of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucose (GlcNAc). Crude chitinase from Burkholderia cepacia TU09 and Bacillus licheniformis SK-1 were used to digest #alpha#- and #beta#-chitin powder. Chitinase from B. cepacia TU09 produced GlcNAc in greater than 85% yield from #beta#- and #alpha#-chitin within 1 and 7 days, respectively. B.licheniformis SK-1 chitinase completely hydrolyzed #beta#-chitin within 6 days, giving a final GlcNAc yield of 75%, along with 20% of chitobiose. However, only a 41% yield of GlcNAc was achieved from digesting #alpha#-chitin with B.licheniformis SK-1 chitinase.