Chitinase Assay Kit

The Chitinase Assay Kit is based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of chitinase substrates. The hydrolysis releases p-nitrophenol, which can be measured colormetrically at 405 nm.

Chitinase Assay Kit has been used in screening chitinase activity of recombinant chitinase from yeast, Metschnikowia fructicola, bacterial endophyte 3A12 and Clostridium difficile spores.

The kit provides all the reagents required for efficient detection of chitinase activity in fungal and bacterial growth media, macrophage lysates, and purified enzyme preparations. In addition, the kit provides three different substrates for the detection of the various types of the chitinolytic activity:

• 4-Nitrophenyl N,N′-diacetyl-β-D-chitobioside - substrate suitable for exochitinase activity detection (chitobiosidase activity)
• 4-Nitrophenyl N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminide - substrate suitable for exochitinase activity detection (β-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity)

4-Nitrophenyl β-D-N,N′,N′′-triacetylchitotriose - substrate suitable for endochitinase activity detection

Chitinase catalyzes the hydrolytic cleavage of the β-1→4-glycoside bond present in biopolymers of N-acetylglucosamine, primarily in chitin. Chitinases are widely distributed in living organisms and are found in fungi, bacteria, parasites, plants, and animals. They are classified in families based on amino acid sequence similarities.

The chitinolytic enzymes are also categorized based on their enzymatic action on chitin substrates. Endochitinases are defined as the enzymes catalyzing the random cleavage at internal points in the chitin chain. Exochitinases catalyze the progressive release of acetylchitobiose or N-acetylglucosamine from the non-reducing end of chitin, and are referred to as chitobiosidase and β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, respectively.

Chitinases perform different functions in different organisms. In bacteria, they are mainly involved in nutritional processes. In yeast and various fungi, these enzymes participate in morphogenesis. In animals and plants, chitinases primarily play a role in the defense of the organism against pathogen attack.

The kit assay is based on the enzymatic hydrolysis of chitinase substrates. This hydrolysis releases p-nitrophenol (4-nitrophenol), which upon ionization in basic pH can be measured colorimetrically at 405 nm.