FIG. 1.

M. degradans strain 2-40 produces three chitin depolymerases in the presence of alpha chitin. Strain 2-40 was grown in the presence of alpha chitin as the sole carbon source. Culture supernatants were collected, concentrated 100-fold, and fractionated in an 8% polyacrylamide gel containing 0.01% glycol chitin in the separating gel. Gels were incubated in refolding buffer overnight at 4°C and then incubated at 37°C for 16 h. Chitin depolymerase activity was visualized by staining the gel with Calcofluor.