ENDOPHYTIC FUNGI AS CHITIN-MODIFYING ENZYMES PRODUCERS

Chitosan and chitooligosaccharides, which are products of chitin modification, have wide industrial applications. An improved understanding of the structure and properties of chitin-modifying enzymes has increased the interest in obtaining them from microbial sources and using them in the biotechnological production of these essential sugars. Endophytic fungi include a diverse group of microorganisms that inhabit the intercellular and intracellular areas of plant tissues, thus exerting beneficial effects on host species. They are considered an extremely valuable source of biologically active secondary metabolites and enzymes with high application potential. This review presents the potential of endophytic fungi to produce chitin-modifying enzymes and discusses the role of chitin modification by enzymes produced by fungal endophytes in their survival in the plant host.