Degradation of plant cell walls by a nematode

Herman Popeijus, Hein Overmars, John Jones, Vivian Blok, Aska Goverse, Johannes Helder, Arjen Schots, Jaap Bakker and Geert Smant ()
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Herman Popeijus: Laboratory of Nematology, Graduate School of Experimental Plant Science, Wageningen University
Hein Overmars: Laboratory of Nematology, Graduate School of Experimental Plant Science, Wageningen University
John Jones: Laboratory of Monoclonal Antibodies Graduate School of Experimental Plant Science
Vivian Blok: Laboratory of Monoclonal Antibodies Graduate School of Experimental Plant Science
Aska Goverse: Laboratory of Nematology, Graduate School of Experimental Plant Science, Wageningen University
Johannes Helder: Laboratory of Nematology, Graduate School of Experimental Plant Science, Wageningen University
Arjen Schots: Scottish Crop Research Institute
Jaap Bakker: Laboratory of Nematology, Graduate School of Experimental Plant Science, Wageningen University
Geert Smant: Laboratory of Nematology, Graduate School of Experimental Plant Science, Wageningen University

Nature, 2000, vol. 406, issue 6791, 36-37

Abstract: Abstract Interwoven networks of cellulose and pectin are the main components of plant cell walls1, 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.

Date: 2000
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DOI: 10.1038/35017641

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