Chitin, one of the most abundant biopolymers on Earth, is bound and degraded by
chitinases, specialized enzymes that are similarly widespread in nature. Chitin catabolism
affects global carbon and nitrogen cycles through a host of diverse biological processes, but
recent work has focused attention on systems of chitin recognition and degradation
conserved in mammals, connecting an ancient pathway of polysaccharide processing to
human diseases influenced by persistent immune triggering. Here we review current …