Chitinolytic enzymes and the bacterial microflora in the digestive tract of cod, Gadus morhua

• Published in: Journal of Fish Biology
• Main Authors: Lindsay, G. J. H., Gooday, G. W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1985
• Subjects: Gadus morhua
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1985.tb04264.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1095-8649.1985.tb04264.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1095-8649.1985.tb04264.x

The levels of chitinolytic enzymes and chitinolytic bacteria in the digestive tract of feeding and fasting cod were compared. Enzyme activities within a given tissue were of a similar order irrespective of the presence of chitinolytic bacteria and/or chitin. Cod chitinase and chitobiase are therefore endogenous and constitutive enzymes. Fasting cod had similar numbers of bacteria within the gastro‐intestinal compartments as feeding fish. Representative bacterial isolates from fasting fish were characterized.