Research on lepidoptera digestive enzymes- chitinase

[Kambiz Mousavi]

    Hi,

I am trying to detrermine what changes have occured with evolution that
allow lepidopteran digestive enzymes to function at high pH. I have
found a pattern for trypsin,chymotrypsin and elastase but chitinase is
way off and so I would like to know where the chitinases are expressed
and what is the pH in the digestive compartment: any lepidoptera will
do.

    Thank You,

Jean-Simon Diallo
jsdiallo at yahoo.com
or
jsdiallo at uottawa.ca