Targeting Chitin-containing Organisms

Description

This book provides a comprehensive overview of chitin biology and chitin metabolism related enzymes. Chitin, the second most abundant biopolymer in nature after to cellulose, is a linear biopolymer composed of β-1,4-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc), and an essential component in the exoskeletons of insects, mites, ticks and crustaceans, the egg shells of parasitic nematodes, and fungal cell walls. Although some chitin-containing organisms are a threat to human health, food safety and agricultural production, non-chitin containing organisms like humans, mammals and plants have an innate immune response to these hazardous organisms. The book provides researchers and students with information on the recent research advances concerning the biology of chitin-containing organisms as well as cross-talks between chitin-containing and non-chitin-containing organisms. Highlighting chitin remodeling enzymes and inhibitors, it also offers drug developers essential insights into designing specific molecules for the control of hazardous chitin-containing organisms. Front Matter ....Pages i-viii An Introduction to the Book (Qing Yang, Tamo Fukamizo)....Pages 1-4 Chitin: Structure, Chemistry and Biology (Bernard Moussian)....Pages 5-18 Chitin Prevalence and Function in Bacteria, Fungi and Protists (Lea Steinfeld, Ali Vafaei, Janin Rösner, Hans Merzendorfer)....Pages 19-59 Immune Responses of Mammals and Plants to Chitin-Containing Pathogens (Xi Jiang, Han Bao, Hans Merzendorfer, Qing Yang)....Pages 61-81 Chitin Organizing and Modifying Enzymes and Proteins Involved In Remodeling of the Insect Cuticle (Subbaratnam Muthukrishnan, Hans Merzendorfer, Yasuyuki Arakane, Qing Yang)....Pages 83-114 Chitin-Active Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases (Gaston Courtade, Finn L. Aachmann)....Pages 115-129 Bacterial Chitinase System as a Model of Chitin Biodegradation (Takafumi Itoh, Hisashi Kimoto)....Pages 131-151 Chitin Synthesis and Degradation in Fungi: Biology and Enzymes (Jinkui Yang, Ke-Qin Zhang)....Pages 153-167 Chitin in Arthropods: Biosynthesis, Modification, and Metabolism (Xiaojian Liu, Jianzhen Zhang, Kun Yan Zhu)....Pages 169-207 Nematode Chitin and Application (Qi Chen, Deliang Peng)....Pages 209-219 Human Chitinases: Structure, Function, and Inhibitor Discovery (Ashutosh Kumar, Kam Y. J. Zhang)....Pages 221-251 Chitin/Chitosan-Active Enzymes Involved in Plant–Microbe Interactions (Tamo Fukamizo, S. Shinya)....Pages 253-272 Chitinous Structures as Potential Targets for Insect Pest Control (Guillaume Tetreau, Ping Wang)....Pages 273-292