Insect chitinase and its application in insect pest control

Chitin,an important structural component of insects,plays an essential role at various periods of their growth and development.One potential biopesticide is the insect molting enzyme,chitinase,which degrades chitin in the integument and peritrophic membrane to a low molecular weight and promises to be a biocontrol agent with broad application.More than 30 species of insect chitinases have now been cloned and some of these have been incorporated into transgenic plants and recombinant microorganisms where they have achieved a degree of effectiveness in controlling insect pests.This paper provides a comprehensive review of the physiological function,biochemical characterization and structure of insect chitinase,as well as current research on chitinase for pest control purposes.