Quantitative production of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose from crystalline chitin by bacterial chitinase

Finely powdered α- and β-chitin can be completely hydrolyzed with chitinase (EC 3.2.1.14) and β-N-acetylhexosaminidase (EC 3.2.1.52) for the production of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-d-glucose (GlcNAc). Crude chitinase from Burkholderia cepacia TU09 and Bacillus licheniformis SK-1 were used to digest α- and β-chitin powder. Chitinase from B. cepacia TU09 produced GlcNAc in greater than 85% yield from β- and α-chitin within 1 and 7 days, respectively. B. licheniformis SK-1 chitinase completely hydrolyzed β-chitin within 6 days, giving a final GlcNAc yield of 75%, along with 20% of chitobiose. However, only a 41% yield of GlcNAc was achieved from digesting α-chitin with B. licheniformis SK-1 chitinase.