Chitinases
Chitin consists of monomers of N-acetylglucosamine, and is a constituent of the exoskeleton of invertebrates, zooplankton and fungal cell walls. Chitinases are enzymes that degrade chitin, and are found in all main groups of organisms including bacteria, archaea, plants, animals and fungi. From an ecological perspective, degradation of chitin is important for global nutrient cycling, because of the vast annual biological production of chitin. In addition, chitinases are involved in microbial interactions that can be exploited for biological control of crop diseases.
Fig. 1. Phenotypic screening of fungal chitinase null mutants.
This UMC project aims to investigate the connection between phylogeny and function of microbial family-18 chitinases. Following reconstruction of evolutionary relationships of the chitinase gene family, functional and ecological parameters are collected for various chitinase subgroups. This knowledge will ultimately help us better understand organic matter degradation and nutrient cycling, as well as mechanisms of biological control of diseases.
Fig. 2. Phylogenetic relationships of family 18 glycoside hydrolase catalytic domains.
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