Lignocellulose degradation by shipworms and their bacterial endosymbionts

船蛆及其细菌内共生体对木质纤维素的降解

• 批准号: 0920540
• 负责人: Daniel Distel
• 金额: $ 44.64万
• 依托单位: Ocean Genome Legacy
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-07-01 至 2014-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0920540&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Lignocellulose; degradation; shipworms; their; bacterial

Among the most pressing issues facing society today is the need to transition from dependence on fossil fuels to alternative renewable fuel sources. Alcohol derived from a plant material called cellulose is considered to be one such alternative. Cellulose, a major component of woody and leafy plants, is one of the most abundant biomaterials on earth and constitutes a major potential source of renewable energy. However, to take advantage of this energy, efficient enzyme systems must be identified that can convert cellulose to its component sugars and then to alcohol. Shipworms are wormlike wood boring marine clams that contain such enzyme systems. Shipworms are the only marine animals that are known to grow and reproduce normally with wood as their sole food source. This unusual ability may be due, at least in part, to their association with a consortium of intracellular symbiotic bacteria. These symbionts are thought to provide shipworms with enzymes that aid in wood digestion. The purpose of this research project is to use advanced methods of genomics, proteomics and imaging to 1) uncover the physiological and enzymatic systems that allow shipworms to thrive on this unusual diet, 2) reproduce these enzymes in the laboratory, and 3) evaluate qualities of these enzymes that may be useful for development of commercial cellulosic alcohol production. The research will also help to broaden scientific understanding of beneficial interactions between bacteria and animals. The project will result in the training of one postdoctoral research scientist, as well as several high school and college level interns through the Ocean Genome Legacy's active educational outreach programs.

当今社会面临的最紧迫的问题之一是需要从对化石燃料的依赖过渡到替代性可再生燃料来源。 从一种叫做纤维素的植物材料中提取的酒精被认为是这样的替代品之一。纤维素是木本和叶类植物的主要成分，是地球上最丰富的生物材料之一，也是可再生能源的主要潜在来源。然而，为了利用这种能量，必须确定有效的酶系统，该系统可以将纤维素转化为其成分糖，然后转化为酒精。 船蛆是一种像蠕虫一样的钻木海洋蛤，含有这种酶系统。 船蛆是唯一已知能以木材作为唯一食物来源正常生长和繁殖的海洋动物。这种不寻常的能力可能至少部分归因于它们与细胞内共生细菌的联合体的联系。这些共生体被认为可以为船蛆提供有助于木材消化的酶。 该研究项目的目的是利用先进的基因组学、蛋白质组学和成像方法来：1）揭示船蛆在这种不寻常的饮食中茁壮成长的生理和酶系统，2）在实验室中复制这些酶，3）评估这些酶的质量，这些酶可能有助于商业纤维素酒精生产的发展。 该研究还将有助于扩大对细菌与动物之间有益相互作用的科学认识。 该项目将通过海洋基因组遗产的积极教育推广计划培训一名博士后研究科学家以及几名高中和大学级别的实习生。