Complex carbohydrates are ubiquitous in all kingdoms of life. As major components of the plant cell wall they constitute both a rich renewable carbon source for biotechnological transformation into fuels, chemicals and materials, and also form an important energy source as part of a healthy human diet. In both contexts, there has been significant, sustained interest in understanding how microbes transform these substrates. Classical perspectives of microbial polysaccharide degradation are currently being augmented by recent advances in the discovery of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) and polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs). Fundamental discoveries in carbohydrate enzymology are both advancing biological understanding, as well as informing applications in industrial biomass conversion and modulation of the human gut microbiota to mediate health benefits.
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February 2016
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Cover Image
Cover Image
Scanning electron micrograph of a cell from the endosperm of a barley grain. The cell is tightly packed with large, disk-shaped (A-type) and much smaller, almost spherical (B-type) starch granules. The smooth areas in this image are the surface of the cell walls of neighbouring endosperm cells. For further details see pp. 157-163. Image kindly provided by Elaine Barclay and Vasilios Andriotis (John Innes Centre, Norwich).Close Modal - PDF Icon PDF LinkTable of Contents
Review Article|
February 09 2016
Learning from microbial strategies for polysaccharide degradation
Glyn R. Hemsworth;
Glyn R. Hemsworth
1
*York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K.
1To whom correspondence should be addressed (email glyn.hemsworth@york.ac.uk).
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Guillaume Déjean;
Guillaume Déjean
†Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2185 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
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Gideon J. Davies;
Gideon J. Davies
*York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K.
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Harry Brumer
Harry Brumer
†Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2185 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
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Biochem Soc Trans (2016) 44 (1): 94–108.
Article history
Received:
November 26 2015
Citation
Glyn R. Hemsworth, Guillaume Déjean, Gideon J. Davies, Harry Brumer; Learning from microbial strategies for polysaccharide degradation. Biochem Soc Trans 15 February 2016; 44 (1): 94–108. doi: https://doi.org/10.1042/BST20150180
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