Useful enzymes from reindeer gut
Lignocellulosic or woody biomass does not easily break down into useful end-products, making agricultural wastes a major untapped source of energy and other products. Ruminants such as the Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) easily digest lignocellulose, thanks to unique communities of bacteria in their digestive tracts. The PBDNH project used genetic analyses to study these microorganisms. Researchers looked to identify the bacteria, and their enzymes, that showed promise for use in the industrial conversion of lignocellulosic biomass. Project members sequenced all of the bacteria present in the reindeer gut environment. A dominant member of this bacterial community, called SRM-1, was identified as part of this process. In-depth genetic sequencing of SRM-1 revealed a cluster of 13 genes involved in digesting lignocellulose. These genes coded for enzymes that could digest glucans, xylan, xyloglucan, galactomannan and cellulose, all important lignocellulose molecules. Finally, researchers expressed these enzymes in the laboratory for further study. These may prove be useful as enzymes for industrial biomass conversion processes.
Keywords
Enzymes, reindeer, bacteria, digestive tract, biomass processing, agricultural waste, Svalbard reindeer, lignocellulose, lignocellulosic biomass, genetic sequencing, biomass conversion
