Arthrobacter sp. strain TAD20, a chitinolytic gram-positive organism, was isolated from the sea bottom along the Antarctic ice shell. Arthrobacter sp. strain TAD20 secretes two major chitinases, ChiA and ChiB (ArChiA and ArChiB), in response to chitin induction. A single chromosomal DNA fragment containing the genes coding for both chitinases was cloned in Escherichia coli. DNA sequencing analy...

We have investigated the effects of sulfated chitin derivatives and heparin on the invasion of B16-BL6 melanoma cells through reconstituted basement membrane Matrigel which contains laminin, type IV collagen, heparin sulfate proteoglycan, and entactin. 6-O-sulfated chitin (S-chitin) and 6-O-sulfated and carboxymethyl chitin (SCM-chitin) significantly inhibited the penetration of tumor cells thr...

We have investigated the effects of sulfated chitin derivatives and heparin on the invasion of B16-BL6 melanoma cells through reconstituted basement membrane Matrigel which contains laminin, type IV collagen, heparan sulfate proteoglycan, and entactin. 6-O-sulfated chitin (S-chitin) and 6-O-sulfated and carboxymethyl chitin (SCM-chitin) significantly inhibited the penetration of tumor cells thr...

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) are central to tissue penetration by cancer cells, as tumors expand and form metastases, but the mechanism by which MMP-2 contributes to cancer cell migration is not well understood. In the present experiments, both a broad-spectrum MMP inhibitor and the isolated collagen binding domain (CBD) from MMP-2 inhibited cell migration on native type I collagen. These re...

A cDNA encoding a putative lectin expressed in tomato leaves was identified and analysed. The lectin consists of two homologous chitin-binding modules interconnected by a short proline-rich domain containing a single Ser[Pro]( n ) repetitive motif. Each module comprises two in-tandem-arrayed hevein domains separated by a tetrapeptide linker. Besides the chitin-binding modules and proline-rich d...

The critical role of chitin synthases in oomycete hyphal tip growth has been established. A microtubule interacting and trafficking (MIT) domain was discovered in the chitin synthases of the oomycete model organism, Saprolegnia monoica. MIT domains have been identified in diverse proteins and may play a role in intracellular trafficking. The structure of the Saprolegnia monoica chitin synthase ...

Colloidal probe microscopy has been used to study the interaction between model cellulose surfaces and the role of cellulose binding domain (CBD), peptides specifically binding to cellulose, in interfacial interaction of cellulose surfaces modified with CBDs. The interaction between pure cellulose surfaces in aqueous electrolyte solution is dominated by double layer repulsive forces with the ra...

Intracellular Ca2+ regulates the activity of the NCX (Na+/Ca2+ exchanger) through binding to the cytosolic CBD (Ca2+-binding domain) 1 and CBD2. In vitro studies of the structure and dynamics of CBD1 and CBD2, as well as studies of their kinetics and thermodynamics of Ca2+ binding, greatly enhanced our understanding of NCX regulation. We describe the fold of the CBDs in relation to other known ...

Specific and strong cellulose-binding characteristics were utilized for promoting retention of additives in contaminated papermaking systems. Cellulose-binding domain (CBD) of cellulase derived from Trichoderma viride was separated by digestion with papain, and then introduced into anionic polyacrylamide (A-PAM) through a condensation reaction using water-soluble carbodiimide. The CBD-modified ...