title: Learning from microbial strategies for polysaccharide degradation.
abstract: 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.
authors: York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K. glyn.hemsworth@york.ac.uk.
authors: Glyn R
authors: GR
authors: Hemsworth
authors: Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2185 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada.
authors: Guillaume
authors: G
authors: Déjean
authors: York Structural Biology Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, U.K.
authors: Gideon J
authors: GJ
authors: Davies
authors: Michael Smith Laboratories and Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2185 East Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada.
authors: Harry
authors: H
authors: Brumer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D007221:Industry; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011134:Polysaccharides; D002482:Cellulose; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases
keywords: biomass; cellulase; lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase; polysaccharide utilization loci