Reaction: Hydrolysis of chitodextrins, releasing N,N'-diacetylchitobiose and small amounts of N,N',N''-triacetylchitotriose.
Other name(s): endo I (gene name); chitodextrinase (ambiguous); endolytic chitodextrinase; periplasmic chitodextrinase
Systematic name: (1→4)-2-acetamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucan diacetylchitobiohydrolase (endo-cleaving)
Comments: The enzyme, characterized from the bacterium Vibrio furnissii, is an endo-cleaving chitodextrinase that participates in the the chitin catabolic pathway found in members of the Vibrionaceae. Unlike EC 3.2.1.14, chitinase, it has no activity on chitin. The smallest substrate is a tetrasaccharide, and the final products are N,N'-diacetylchitobiose and small amounts of N,N',N''-triacetylchitotriose. cf. EC 3.2.1.200, exo-chitinase (non-reducing end), and EC 3.2.1.201, exo-chitinase (reducing end).
BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, MetaCyc, CAS registry number:
References:
1. Bassler, B.L., Yu, C., Lee, Y.C. and Roseman, S. Chitin utilization by marine bacteria. Degradation and catabolism of chitin oligosaccharides by Vibrio furnissii. J. Biol. Chem. 266 (1991) 24276-24286. [PMID: 1761533]
2. Keyhani, N.O. and Roseman, S. The chitin catabolic cascade in the marine bacterium Vibrio furnissii. Molecular cloning, isolation, and characterization of a periplasmic chitodextrinase. J. Biol. Chem. 271 (1996) 33414-33424. [PMID: 8969204]