Nonchemical methods and strategies for nematode management including cultural methods and engineered measures have been recommended as an alternative to methyl bromide (a major soil fumigant), due to its role in the depletion of the ozone layer. Hence, an international agreement has recently been reached calling for its reduced consumption and complete phasing out. This present research evaluat...

Corresponding author: Karolina SKOŁUCKA-SZARY – M.Sc., e-mail: [email protected] Introduction Chitin (from the Greek word chiton – covering) is the second most widespread natural polysaccharide after cellulose. It was first isolated from fungi in 1811 by H. Braconnot [1], and its chemical structure was described for the first time in the doctoral dissertation of a Swiss researcher A...

Candida albicans cells with increased cell wall chitin have reduced echinocandin susceptibility in vitro. The aim of this study was to investigate whether C. albicans cells with elevated chitin levels have reduced echinocandin susceptibility in vivo. BALB/c mice were infected with C. albicans cells with normal chitin levels and compared to mice infected with high-chitin cells. Caspofungin thera...

The presence of non-fibrillar alpha-chitin in cellulosic fungi (class Oomycetes) poses intriguing questions as to its role, subcellular localization and evolutionary significance. Previous studies reported on the similarity of chitin synthase from Saprolegnia monoica with that of other fungi. The present work describes important dissimilarities. There was no evidence that the chitin synthase of...

Chitin, an insoluble polymer of GlcNAc, is an abundant source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy for marine microorganisms. Microarray expression profiling and mutational studies of Vibrio cholerae growing on a natural chitin surface, or with the soluble chitin oligosaccharides (GlcNAc)(2-6), GlcNAc, or the glucosamine dimer (GlcN)2 identified three sets of differentially regulated genes. We show ...

The morphology of three Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, all lacking chitin synthase 1 (Chs1) and two of them deficient in either Chs3 (calR1 mutation) or Chs2 was observed by light and electron microscopy. Cells deficient in Chs2 showed clumpy growth and aberrant shape and size. Their septa were very thick; the primary septum was absent. Staining with WGA-gold complexes revealed a diffuse dis...

Chitin is the second most abundant polysaccharide in the world; it is found in insects, parasites and fungi. Chitinases break down chitin, and are a part of the defence mechanism against chitin-containing parasites in lower life forms. This review is based on the results of PubMed-searches using the search-terms: chitin, chitinase, allergy and asthma. Research in murine models has proved that c...

The main objective of this study was to obtain chitin in pure form from a new crustacean waste material for industrial applications. Black tiger shrimp shell wastes are a rich source of protein and valuable bioactive carbohydrate polymers such as chitin. After removal of carotenoid, Black tiger shrimp shell wastes (BTSHWs) were treated with chemicals and protease enzyme to extract chitin. Box-B...

The echinocandin antifungal drugs inhibit synthesis of the major fungal cell wall polysaccharide β(1,3)-glucan. Echinocandins have good efficacy against Candida albicans but reduced activity against other Candida species, in particular Candida parapsilosis and Candida guilliermondii. Treatment of Candida albicans with a sub-MIC level of caspofungin has been reported to cause a compensatory incr...

Incubation o f deproteinized larval cuticle (chitin flakes) with purified arylphorin (calliphorin) or larval haemolymph o f Calliphora vicina resulted in the formation o f a chitin-protein complex. Enzymatic oxidation o f N-ß-alanyldopamine (N D A B ) in the presence o f chitin flakes or the chitin-protein complex, resulted in various degrees o f cross-linking o f N BA D quinone formed with chi...