Microsomal chitinase activity from Candida albicans

Chitinase (E.C. 3.2.1.14) was characterized in microsomal fractions from yeast cells of Candida albicans. Following six washes with buffer (50 mM Bis-Tris · Cl, pH 6.5), enzyme activity of microsomes fell markedly to 0.3% of total and 6% of the specific activity detected in the low-speed supernatant (9000 × g) of a cell lysate. An apparently zymogenic, microsomal chitinase activity became more readily detectable with washing and after six washes...