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Science Rendezvous > Posters Expression and roles of carbohydrate processing enzymes during the degradation of complex polysaccharides by Saccharophagus degradans Pernilla Turner and Shelley Copley CIRES The marine bacterium Saccharophagus degradans 2-40 can degrade a wide variety of complex polysaccharides, including agar, carrageenan, cellulose, chitin, glucan, laminarin, pectin, pullulan, starch, and xylan and use them as a sole source of energy and carbon. The genome of S. degradans encodes more than 200 carbohydrate-active enzymes. The chitinolytic, the agarolytic, and the cellulolytic systems have been characterized to different extents. However, the functions of the majority of these enzymes are still unknown. Different types of enzymes are required to release each type of sugar, to deal with branches, and in some cases to remove modifications on the hydroxyl groups. In addition, there may be enzymes that are specialized to function under different extracellular conditions, such as variable pH or metal ion concentrations. Optimal degradation may also require alteration of the composition of the suite of degradative enzymes as degradation progresses. Surely we can learn important lessons about degradation of complex polysaccharides from microbes that have perfected these abilities over millions of years of evolution. In this project, we will use genomic and genetic methods to provide insights into the roles of each of the carbohydrate processing enzymes. |
