chitinase

Term: chitinase

Literally meaning: “an enzyme that breaks down chitin”

Origin: Anc Greek

χιτών/chiton(=tunic)

+(-άση)/(-asy)(=-ase) enzyme suffix added to the name of the substrate that the enzyme  hydrolyzes eg proteinase for protein or lipase for lipids

>διά-/dia-(=prefix denoting “through”, “apart” )

> δυο/dio(two) + στάσις/stasis(=halt) > ίστημι/histimi(=stand).

Coined/History 

Chitinase was first reported in vertebrate intestine by Jeuniaux in 1961 from the 9-banded armadillointestine.  The first chitinase structures were solved in 1994 from a bacterium.

Source

Perrakis A, Tews I, Dauter Z, Oppenheim AB, Chet I, Wilson KS, Vorgias CE. Crystal structure of a bacterial chitinase at 2.3 A resolution. Structure. 1994 Dec 15;2(12):1169-80

Definition

Chitinase is  is the enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of linked sugar residues (in beta-1-4glycosidic bond ) from chitin which is a derative of glucose.  Chitinases are found in many organisms such as bacteria, fungi and plants.