Front Cover

Advances in Applied Microbiology

Copyright

Contents

Contributors

Chapter One: The Genetic Basis of the Symbiosis Between Photorhabdus and Its Invertebrate Hosts

1. Introduction

2. The Photorhabdus Life Cycle

3. Genomics

4. Phenotypic Variation and Primary-Specific Factors

5. Pathogenicity: Photorhabdus and the Insect

6. Mutualism: Photorhabdus and the Nematode

6.1. Supporting nematode growth and development

6.2. Transmission to the IJ

7. Conclusion

References

Chapter Two: Regulation of Plant Biomass Utilization in Aspergillus

1. The Aspergilli and Their Potential for Plant Biomass Utilization

2. Composition of Plant Biomass

3. Transcriptional Regulators of Plant Biomass Degradation in Aspergillus

4. The Amylolytic Regulators AmyR and MalR

5. The Hemicellulolytic Regulator XlnR

6. The Cellulolytic Regulator ClbR

7. The Arabinanolytic Regulator AraR

8. The Inulinolytic Regulator InuR

9. The Galactose-Related Regulators GalR and GalX

10. The Pectinolytic Regulator RhaR

11. Mannanolytic Regulator ManR

12. Carbon Catabolite Repressor CreA

13. Other Fungal Biomass Utilization Regulators

14. Concluding Remarks

Acknowledgments

References

Chapter Three: Threonine Aldolases

1. Introduction

2. Threonine Aldolases Utilized for Chemical Synthesis

3. Summary of Reactants and Products for Threonine Aldolases

3.1. Glycine/alkyl aldehydes

3.2. Glycine/aryl aldehydes

3.3. Other amino acid donors (D-Ala, D-Ser, and D-Cys)

4. Structural Studies of Threonine Aldolases

4.1. T. maritima l-threonine aldolase

4.2. E. coli l-threonine aldolase

4.3. Other threonine aldolase structures

5. Protein Engineering Studies of Threonine Aldolases

5.1. Improving catalytic activity

5.2. Improving thermostability

5.3. Improving stereoselectivity

5.4. Introducing and optimizing threonine aldolase activity into a novel scaffold

6. Conclusions and Future Outlook

References

Chapter Four: Carbohydrate-Binding Modules of Fungal Cellulases: Occurrence in Nature, Function, and Relevance in Industri ...

1. Introduction

2. Cellulolytic Enzymes

2.1. Fungal cellulolytic enzymes

2.1.1. Traditional model cellulases of ascomycetes

2.1.2. Cellulolytic systems of basidiomycetes

2.2. Structures of fungal cellulases

2.3. Occurrence of CBMs

2.3.1. CBMs in microorganisms

2.3.2. CBMs in white-rot fungi

2.3.3. CBMs in brown-rot fungi

2.4. Function of CBMs in fungal enzyme-substrate interaction

2.4.1. CBM-directed adsorption and desorption of cellulases

2.4.2. CBM and processivity

2.4.3. Proposed roles of CBMs in cellulose conversion by cellulases

2.4.4. Nonspecific binding of cellulases to lignin

2.5. Cellulose degradation and occurrence of CBMs in the genomes of selected fungi

3. Enzymatic Biomass Hydrolysis

3.1. Conversion processes

3.2. Enzymes required for total hydrolysis of lignocellulose

3.3. Lignin in biomass degradation

3.4. Hydrolysis at high substrate concentration

3.5. Cellulases with and without CBM in high DM hydrolysis

3.6. Desorption of enzymes

3.7. Recovery of non-CBM enzymes

3.8. Recyclability of enzymes

4. Conclusions

References

Chapter Five: Benzoyl-CoA, a Universal Biomarker for Anaerobic Degradation of Aromatic Compounds

1. Introduction

2. Biochemistry of the Benzoyl-CoA Pathway

2.1. Benzoyl-CoA reductases

2.2. Hydratases and dehydrogenases

2.3. Benzoyl-CoA ring cleavage genes

2.4. Horizontal gene transfer

3. Using the Benzoyl-CoA Pathway as a Metabolic Biomarker for Anaerobic Aromatic Biodegradation

3.1. Benzoyl-CoA reductases

3.2. BamA hydrolase

3.3. Diversity of the bamA gene in environmental samples

4. Applicability of Using the Benzoyl-CoA Pathway Biomarkers in the Environment

5. The Role of Benzoyl-CoA in the Anaerobic Carbon Cycle

5.1. Benzoyl-CoA in anoxic gut communities

5.2. Benzoyl-CoA in the global carbon cycle

5.3. Microbe-microbe metabolic interactions

6. Conclusions and Future Directions

References

Index

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