Mixed evolutionary origins of endogenous biomass-depolymerizing enzymes in animals.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Animals are thought to achieve lignocellulose digestion via symbiotic associations with gut microbes; this view leads to significant focus on bacteria and fungi for lignocellulolytic systems. The presence of biomass conversion systems hardwired into animal genomes has not yet been unequivocally demonstrated.

Results

We perform an exhaustive search for glycoside hydrolase (GH) genes from 21 genomes representing major bilaterian (Ecdysozoa, Spiralia, Echinodermata and Chordata) and basal metazoan (Porifera and Cnidaria) lineages. We also assessed the genome of a unicellular relative of Metazoa, Capsaspora owczarzaki and together with comparative analyses on 126 crustacean transcriptomes, we found that animals are living bioreactors at a microscale as they encode enz

SUBMITTER: Chang WH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6011409 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature