Scientists discover new enzyme families that break down rare bacterial carbohydrates

Scientists discover new enzyme families that break down rare bacterial carbohydrates

The molecules that form the foundation of life on Earth are as diverse as they are complex. Among these, carbohydrates play a vital role as energy sources and in structural functions, such as forming cell walls.

­Scientists discover new enzyme families that break down rare bacterial carbohydrates - Feed & Additive Magazine

Tokyo University of Science (TUS) researchers have made significant progress by identifying and characterizing new enzymes that break down glycan molecules. The discovery of the new glycoside hydrolase families that break down β-1,2-glucans opens the door to synthetic carbohydrate production, according to the scientists. Phylogenetic tree of SGL-clan enzymes, highlighting known (black), newly identified (red), and uncharacterized (blue) families…