Summary
Chitinase activity was determined by incubating a mixture of toluene-treated soil with 1% (w/w) colloidal chitin suspension for 18 h at 37°C and then, after dilution, assaying the amount of N-acetyl-glucosamine released. Maximal chitinase activity was observed at 45°C and optimal pH for enzymatic reaction was 5.0–5.5. Soil chitinase activity decreased with increasing soil depth and was significantly affected by crop cover and fertilization regime. Chitin added to soil stimulated chitinase activity. Enzyme activity was correlated with the soil fungal population but not with numbers of actinomycetes or bacteria. A specialized mycoflora was associated with chitin decomposition.
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Rodriguez-Kabana, R., Godoy, G., Morgan-Jones, G. et al. The determination of soil chitinase activity: Conditions for assay and ecological studies. Plant Soil 75, 95–106 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02178617
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02178617