Inhibition of chitinolytic enzymes from Streptomyces griseus (bacteria), Artemia salina (crustacea), and a cell line from Chironomus tentans (insecta) by allosamidin and isoallosamidin

The influence of allosamidin and its diastereoisomer isoallosamidin on chitinase activity from an insect cell line of Chironomus tentans, the crustacean Artemia salina and the bacterium Streptomyces griseus was studied. The rank order of susceptibility of chitinase activity to both inhibitors was found to be: insects »crustaceans« fungi, although isoallosamidin is about 600-fold (insect) or 400-fold (crustacea) less active than allosamidin and does not inhibit chitinase from Streptomyces at all. The complete and exclusive inhibition of N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase by an acetylgluconolactone-derivative and chitinase activity by allosamidin indicates that both enzymes can be determined separately in crude extracts, (containing both enzymes), with the substrates 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetylglucosaminide or 4-methylumbelliferyl-chitoriose, respectively.