The GH18 (glycosyl hydrolase, family 18) type II chitinases hydrolyze chitin, an abundant polymer of beta-1,4-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) which is a major component of the cell wall of fungi and the exoskeleton of arthropods. Chitinases have been identified in viruses, bacteria, fungi, protozoan parasites, insects, and plants. The structure of the GH18 domain is an eight-stranded beta/alpha barrel with a pronounced active-site cleft at the C-terminal end of the beta-barrel. The GH18 family includes chitotriosidase, chitobiase, hevamine, zymocin-alpha, narbonin, SI-CLP (stabilin-1 interacting chitinase-like protein), IDGF (imaginal disc growth factor), CFLE (cortical fragment-lytic enzyme) spore hydrolase, the type III and type V plant chitinases, the endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases, and the chitolectins. The GH85 (glycosyl hydrolase, family 85) ENGases (endo-beta-N-acetylglucosaminidases) are closely related to the GH18 chitinases and are included in this alignment model.

Chitinase [Carbohydrate transport and metabolism]

GH18 domain of CTS3 (chitinase 3), an uncharacterized protein from the human fungal pathogen Coccidioides posadasii. CTS3 has a chitinase-like glycosyl hydrolase family 18 (GH18) domain; and has homologs in bacteria as well as fungi.

Glycosyl hydrolases family 18.

This conserved domain family includes xylanase inhibitor Xip-I, and the class III plant chitinases such as hevamine, concanavalin B, and PPL2, all of which have a glycosyl hydrolase family 18 (GH18) domain. Hevamine is a class III endochitinase that hydrolyzes the linear polysaccharide chains of chitin and peptidoglycan and is important for defense against pathogenic bacteria and fungi. PPL2 (Parkia platycephala lectin 2) is a class III chitinase from Parkia platycephala seeds that hydrolyzes beta(1-4) glycosidic bonds linking 2-acetoamido-2-deoxy-beta-D-glucopyranose units in chitin.