IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v406y2000i6791d10.1038_35017641.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Degradation of plant cell walls by a nematode

Author

Listed:
  • 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)

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Herman Popeijus & Hein Overmars & John Jones & Vivian Blok & Aska Goverse & Johannes Helder & Arjen Schots & Jaap Bakker & Geert Smant, 2000. "Degradation of plant cell walls by a nematode," Nature, Nature, vol. 406(6791), pages 36-37, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:406:y:2000:i:6791:d:10.1038_35017641
    DOI: 10.1038/35017641
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/35017641
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/35017641?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:406:y:2000:i:6791:d:10.1038_35017641. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.