Journal Article

Degradation of plant cell walls by a nematode

Overmars, H, Bakker, J, Smant, G, Goverse, A, Blok, V, Schots, A, Jones, J, Popeijus, H, Helder, H

2000

Overview

Interwoven networks of cellulose and pectin are the main components of plant cell walls, making them recalcitrant structures that can only be degraded by organisms producing a mix of synergistically acting enzymes. Animals were believed to be unable to synthesize these enzymes, depending instead on symbiotic microbes to render plants into a food source. Here we describe a metazoan pectinase gene that encodes a pectate lyase for breaking down the pectin component of plant cell walls. To our knowledge, this is the first example of non-symbiotic degradation of pectin in plant cell walls by an animal.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing
• Subject: Amino Acid Sequence / Animals / Biological and medical sciences / Cell Wall - parasitology / cellulose / Cloning, Molecular / DEGRADACION / DEGRADATION / ENZIMAS / ENZYME / ENZYMES / EPS / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / GENE / GENES / GENETICA / GENETICA MOLECULAR / GENETICS / GENETIQUE / GENETIQUE MOLECULAIRE / GLOBODERA ROSTOCHIENSIS / Laboratorium voor Nematologie / Laboratory of Nematology / Metazoa / MOLECULAR GENETICS / Molecular Sequence Data / Nematoda / NEMATODE DES PLANTES / NEMATODOS DE LAS PLANTAS / NEMATOLOGY / pectin / Pectins - metabolism / Phytopathology. Animal pests. Plant and forest protection / PLANT NEMATODES / Polygalacturonase - genetics / Polygalacturonase - metabolism / Polysaccharide-Lyases - classification / Polysaccharide-Lyases - genetics / Polysaccharide-Lyases - metabolism / Protozoa. Invertebrates / Records, symptoms, damages, economic importance, population surveys / Tylenchida - enzymology / Tylenchida - genetics / Tylenchida - physiology