INHIBITION OF CHITINOLYTIC ENZYMES FROM STREPTOMYCES-GRISEUS (BACTERIA), ARTEMIA-SALINA (CRUSTACEA), AND A CELL-LINE FROM CHIRONOMUS-TENTANS (INSECTA) BY ALLOSAMIDIN AND ISOALLOSAMIDIN

The influence of allosamidin and its diastereoisomer isoallosamidin on chitinase activity from an insect cell line of Chironomus tentans, th e crustacean Artemia salina and the bacterium Streptomyces griseus was studied. The rank order of susceptibility of chitinase activity to bo th inhibitors was found to be: insects >> crustaceans >> fungi, althou gh isoallosamidin is about 600-fold (insect) or 400-fold (crustacea) l ess active than allosamidin and does not inhibit chitinase from Strept omyces at all. The complete and exclusive inhibition of N-acetyl-beta- D-glucosaminidase by an acetylgluconolactone-derivative and chitinase activity by allosamidin indicates that both enzymes can be determined separately in crude extracts, (containing both enzymes), with the subs trates 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetylglucosaminide or 4-methylumbellife ryl-chitotriose, respectively.