Chitinase Activity of Filamentous Fungi

The chitinase activity of Aspergillus terreus, Acremonium terricola, Fusarium oxysporum, Gliocladium catenulatum, Penicillium variabile, Rhizopus oryzae and Mucor circinelloides, all frequently isolated from soil was studied. Commercial chitin was used as the carbon source. P. variabile was the species with the best growth and the unique species that used commercial chitin as the source of carbon, degrading the linear polymer β-1,4-N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. This chitinasic activity increased with growth. The other species tested did not manifest chitinase activity and growth was weak with chitin as the source of carbon.