Executive Department for
Press, Communication and Marketing
Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2a Gebäude AVZ (Gebäudeteil AR-NA) 57068 Siegen
Phone: +49 (0)271/740-4915 Fax.: +49 (0)271/740-4911 E-Mail: presse@uni-siegen.de
German-Chinese team studies the formation of chitin
Siegen molecular biologist Hans Merzendorfer and agricultural scientist Quing Yang from Beijing are leading a joint research project that might provide approaches for the development of environmentally friendly insecticides.
The exoskeleton of insects is known to be a highly resistant structure reinforced by chitin fibrils. Due to the special properties of chitin fibrils, they have long been researched for numerous applications in medicine and technology. However, little is known so far about how exactly chitin fibrils are produced by insects. This is now being investigated by a German-Chinese team of researchers led by Professor Qing Yang of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing and Dr. Hans Merzendorfer, Professor of Molecular Biology at the University of Siegen.
Chitin is a sugar polymer, which is synthesized from individual sugar building blocks by a specific enzyme found in insect skin cells. In this process, the nascent sugar chain is transported out of the cells through a channel of the enzyme, then cut and further chemically modified. Eventually, about 20 of these sugar chains assemble into a chitin nanofibril, which is bundled with more of these nanofibrils by proteins. The resulting chitin fibrils are assembled into layers and these are stacked on top of each other to create complex three-dimensional structures that can withstand even extreme mechanical stress.In the research project, the scientists are investigating the question of how exactly chitin is produced, cut and chemically modified. In doing so, they are testing the hypothesis that all the enzymes involved assemble into large supercomplexes that allow the individual steps to be carried out in an efficient and coordinated manner.
The expected results will not only provide new insights into chitin biosynthesis in insects, but also reveal potential targets for the development of new environmentally friendly insecticides. The project, which will involve several doctoral students, is jointly funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NFSC) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) for an initial period of three years.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Hans Merzendorfer
Institute of Biology
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology
Tel. 0271/740-3917
hans.merzendorfer@uni-siegen.de