Abstract
Chitin is an unbranched polysaccharide composed primary of beta 1,4 linked N-acetylglucoseamine residues. It can be regarded as a cellulose analog, in which the hydroxyl groups have been replaced by N-acetylglucoseamino groups. Chitin is a major component of the cell walls of most fungi, except for the class Oomycetes. Insects, nematodes and other invertebrates have chitin as a structural component of their exoskeleton. Vascular plants and mammals lack chitin. The enzymatic digestion of the chitin components of plant pathogens and plant pests could present an effective method for their control. At the specific sites of infection in the rhizoplane or phylloplane, chitin degradation can be stimulated by addition of chitin substrates or bacteria with high chitinolytic activity.
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© 1992 Springer Science+Business Media New York
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Sundheim, L. (1992). Effect of Chitinase Encoding Genes in Biocontrol Pseudomonas Spp.. In: Tjamos, E.C., Papavizas, G.C., Cook, R.J. (eds) Biological Control of Plant Diseases. NATO ASI Series, vol 230. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9468-7_45
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-9468-7_45
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