Purification, Characterization, and Molecular Cloning of a Chitinase from the Seeds of Benincasa hispida

• DOI: 10.1271/bbb.65.501
• Publication Date: 2002-08-26T17:53:47Z
• Authors: Chao-Yun T. SHIH; Anwar A. KHAN; Shifang JIA; Junlin WU; Ding S. SHIH
• Keywords: Chitinase; Gourd; Cloning (programming)

A chitinase was purified from the seeds of Benincasa hispida, a medicinal plant also called white gourd, and member Cucurbitaceae family. Purification done by using procedure consisting only two fractionation steps: an acid denaturation step followed ion-exchange chromatography. The sequence N-terminal forty amino residues analyzed indicated that enzyme is class III chitinase. enzyme, which basic chitinase, one at least five chitinases detected in seed extract B. hispida. Like other chitinases, this has lysozyme activity. genomic clone gene encoding isolated sequenced. potential to encode protein 301 residues. deduced protein, as expected sequence, shares high degrees similarity with chitinases.