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Production of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosamine from chitin by Aeromonas sp. GJ-18 crude enzyme.

Kuk JH, Jung WJ, Jo GH, Kim YC, Kim KY, Park RD

Glucosamine Saccharide Materials-National Research Laboratory, Division of Applied Bioscience and Biotechnology, Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Korea.

A bacterium, GJ-18, having strong chitinolytic activity was isolated from coastal soil. The isolated strain was identified as Aeromonas sp. by morphological and biochemical properties along with 16S rRNA gene sequence. The crude chitinolytic activity of culture supernatants was maximal on the 5th day of culture. Below 45 degrees C, chitin was effectively hydrolyzed to N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) by Aeromonas sp. GJ-18 crude enzymes, but hydrolysis decreased markedly above 50 degrees C. The optimum pH for enzyme activity was 5.0. TLC and HPLC analysis revealed that, below 45 degrees C, the major reaction product was GlcNAc with a small amount of (GlcNAc)(2) and (GlcNAc)(3), whereas above 50 degrees C the major product was (GlcNAc)(2). When swollen chitin (100 mg) was incubated with crude enzyme preparations (10 U) at 40 degrees C, chitin was hydrolyzed to 83.0 and 94.9% yield of GlcNAc within 5 and 9 days, respectively.

Published 31 August 2005 in Appl Microbiol Biotechnol, 68(3): 384-9.
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