The Cellulolytic System of Cyst Nematodes

摘要

The growing energy consumption and the dwindling resources of fossil energy carriers make the exploitation of renewable energy from biomass a key technology for the maintenance of modern industrial societies and lifestyles. Because of the conflict of demand between crops used for first generation biofuels (made from starch) with food production, the development of second generation biofuels from lignocellulose is recognized as preferable system. The recalcitrance of lignocellulose to enzymatic hydrolysis makes the utilization of this renewable feedstock difficult and cost intensive, due to high enzyme loads, pretreatment processes, and the low reactant/product concentrations in lignocellulose hydroly-sates. The study outline presented here aims to contribute to the economic efficiency of second generation biofuel production by exploring a cellulolytic system consisting of a minimal set of cellulases, which we expect to optimize for high feed-stock loading. Such systems are provided by nature in the form of proteins secreted into the saliva of plant parasitic nematodes of the genera Meloidogyne, Heterodera and Globodera. These cellulolytic systems typically consist of between two and six cellulases, pectinases and expansin-like proteins. In this article, we review information about root cyst nematodes, their cellulolytic system and provide an experimental outline for achieving insights into the cellulolytic system of the root cyst nematode Globodera tabacum solanacearum.