Abstract
Chitinase activity was detected in the crude extracts of different parts of sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas [L.] Lam var. Tainong 57) using commercial deacetyl glycol chitin as a substrate. The activity of chitinase in crude extracts, which was expressed as units/g fresh weight, was arranged in decending order of leaves > sprouts > peels of storage roots > peeled storage roots. Under field conditions, the chitinase activity of leaves was higher than vines. The chitinase activity of insect-bitten leaves was higher than that of the controls, and the chitinase activity of vines attached to insect-bitten leaves was also higher than that of vines attached to intact leaves. The molecular weight of main chitinase determined by activity staining was about 16 kDa. The optimum pH was 5.0 and the optimum temperature of chitinase activity was 25°C.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 93-97 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Botanical Bulletin of Academia Sinica |
| Volume | 39 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - 1998 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Chitinase
- Defense against pests
- Ipomoea batatas
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Plant Science