Distribution of chitinase in guinea pig tissues and increases in levels of this enzyme after systemic infection with Aspergillus fumigatus

Abstract

Intravenous infection of guinea pigs with the fungus Aspergillus fumigatus resulted in increased levels of chitinase in serum and tissues of the animals. The molecular properties of the enzyme were demonstrated to be different from those of the fungal chitinase, but also from guinea pig lysozyme and /?-Nacetylhexosaminidase. Bio-Gel P-100 gel filtration showed that in liver, spleen, heart and lung tissue of control animals there were two molecular mass forms present with apparent molecular masses of 35 kDa and 15 kDa. In brain and serum, only the 35 kDa form was detectable. Kidney showed only the 15 kDa form. Upon infection the 35 kDa form appeared in kidney and increased in the other tissues. When a less pathogenic form of the fungus was used the 35 kDa form remained absent in kidney. In contrast to human serum chitinase, the enzyme from guinea pig serum and tissues did bind to concanavalin ASepharose. This was the case for both molecular mass forms. The mode of cleavage of the substrate 4-methylumbelliferyl-tri-N-acetylchitotrioside (MU- [GlcNAc],, where GlcNAc is N-acetylglucosamine) by the two forms of the enzyme was the same: both [GlcNAc], and [GlcNAc], were released. The chitinase activity levels in the control tissues showed a large variation in this order: spleen > lung, kidney > liver > heart > brain. The fact that spleen showed the highest chitinase level is in agreement with its major role as a lymphoid organ in cases of systemic infections. The relative increases upon infection were the highest for the tissues that showed low control values.

Role for Chitin and Chitooligomers in the Capsular Architecture of Cryptococcus neoformans

“…9B). As expected, due to the much reduced concentration of organ chitinase (15,28,37), the opposite pattern was observed in the infected rat brain.…”

Quantitative Changes in Serum Concentration of Bovine Gut Chitinase in Theileria Infection

“…Physiological and pathophysiological roles of bovine gut chitinase in blood are unknown. As Overdijk et al reported that the blood obtained from guinea pigs infected with Aspergillus fumigatus showed a higher chitinase activity than that of the control [13,14], we assumed that the bovine gut chitinase in the blood might play some defensive role against pathogens rather than act as a digestive enzyme. To test this hypothesis, we here established a semi-quantitative method for the measurement of bovine gut chitinase and investigated its changes with aging, systemic inflammation caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection, and experimental infection with Theileria sergenti in calves or cows.…”

“…There are some reports showing the existence of chitinase activities in the sera of the goat, guinea pig, and human [10,[12][13][14]. By use of the present immunoblotting, we also tested the possibility that the antibody against bovine gut chitinase could detect protein bands in the plasma of other animal species (Fig.…”

Serum chitotriosidase enzyme activity in patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever

“…Increases have been observed in various lysosomal disorders, such as malaria, thalassemia and fungal infections (19)(20)(21)(22)(23). In addition, increased activity has been reported in tissues and plasma of guinea pigs infected by Aspergillus fumigates, and in plasma and urine of a neonate with C. albicans infection (23,24). As increased activities of ChT have been described in neonates with bacterial infections (17), this may suggest that the spectrum of anti-microbial action of ChT extends to bacteria, thus playing a complementary role to lysozyme.…”