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Bioactivity of chitinolytic actinomycetes of marine origin

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Summary

Of 116 chitinolytic actinomycetes, previously isolated from marine sediments, 85 were found to possess antimicrobial activity. A high correlation was noted between chitinolysis and bioactivity. A majority of them suppressed the growth of Gram-positive bacteria but only a few inhibitedGram-negative strains and almost one-half of them exhibited antimyccotic activity. Several of the last group yielded polyenes of which heptaenes were the most commonly occurring ones. Other strains synthesized detectable amounts of \-lactam antibiotics. It is suggested that chitinolysis may serve as an indicator of potential bioactivity among marine actinomycetes.

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Pisano, M.A., Sommer, M.J. & Taras, L. Bioactivity of chitinolytic actinomycetes of marine origin. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 36, 553–555 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170202

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00170202

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