Xylan Biology and Enzymatic Processing in Marine Algae
Summary
Xylans are abundant hemicellulosic polysaccharides in the cell walls of diverse marine algae, exhibiting remarkable structural complexity and ecological significance. In green algae of the Charophyta and Chlorophyta lineages, 1,4-β-d-xylans contribute to the rigidity of the matrix, whereas 1,3-β-d-xylans form triple-helical microfibrils in Bryopsidales and Bangiales. Some red algal orders additionally feature hybrid 1,3;1,4-β-d-xylans that modulate porosity and mechanical resilience. Biosynthetic pathways remain partly unresolved, but orthologues of land plant xylan synthases hint at shared evolutionary origins. Enzymatic processing in the marine milieu is driven by extracellular xylanases secreted by specialised bacteria and fungi, converting complex polymers into xylooligosaccharides that fuel microbial communities and underpin the oceanic carbon cycle. Advances in biorefinery strategies exploit salt- and thermo-tolerant xylanases for sustainable biomass conversion, yielding bioactive oligosaccharides with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and prebiotic properties. Insight into the interplay between algal xylan architecture, enzyme specificity and environmental parameters promises to inform blue-biotechnology applications spanning nutraceuticals, biofuels and biodegradable materials.
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Xylan Biology and Enzymatic Processing in Marine Algae publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in xylan biology and enzymatic processing in marine algae across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Xylan: A hemicellulosic polysaccharide composed of β-d-xylose units, prevalent in algal and plant cell walls.
β-1,3-Xylanase: An enzyme that specifically cleaves β-1,3 glycosidic bonds in xylan chains.
β-1,3-Xylooligosaccharide: Short-chain sugars derived from β-1,3-xylan, often with bioactive properties.
Glycoside hydrolase (GH): A family of enzymes that hydrolyse glycosidic bonds within carbohydrates.
Carbohydrate-binding module (CBM): A protein domain that enhances enzyme affinity for polysaccharide substrates.
References
- Unlocking the potential of β-1,3-xylooligosaccharides from Caulerpa lentillifera: structural characterization, antioxidative and anti-osteoarthritis applications. Chemical and Biological Technologies in Agriculture (2024).
- Xylans of Red and Green Algae: What Is Known about Their Structures and How Are They Synthesised?. Polymers (2019).
- Diversity of Marine 1,3-Xylan-Utilizing Bacteria and Characters of Their Extracellular 1,3-Xylanases. Frontiers in Microbiology (2021).
- Gilvimarinus xylanilyticus sp. nov., a novel 1,3-xylanase-secreting bacterium isolated from a marine green alga. Frontiers in Microbiology (2022).
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