Structural insights into cellulosome assembly, attachment and function

植物细胞壁多糖，特别是纤维素，是生物圈中最丰富的碳和能量来源，可被各种微生物利用，因此是碳循环的核心组成部分。毫不奇怪，这些纤维素材料的微生物降解是自然界中最重要的过程之一。新出现的厌氧菌使用一种称为纤维素的大型酶复合物来分解这些物质，这种酶复合物通常位于细胞表面。纤维素的组装和组织对其进行生物质协同高效分解的能力至关重要。我们正在使用一种基于解剖和构建结构的方法来表征纤维素的组装、组织和功能。由于纤维素废物也已成为环境污染的主要来源，并且纤维素生物质被认为是可以提供液体运输燃料的唯一可持续和可再生的一次能源之一，我们的发现不仅将推进该系统的基本知识，以及一般的大分子复合物，它将提供有价值的结构见解，可用于产生工程纤维素降解系统。分子生物学、生物化学、物理生物化学和结构生物学方法方面的培训，以及我们与世界领先的纤维素生物化学领域的国际合作，将为学员提供在生物技术领域以及制药和学术行业的重要兴趣领域的多样化技能。

Plant cell wall polysaccharides, notably cellulose, comprise the most abundant source of carbon and energy in the biosphere that can be utilized by various microorganisms, thus contributing a central component to the carbon cycle. Not surprisingly then, the microbial degradation of these cellulosic materials is one the most important processes in nature. An emerging number of anaerobic bacteria use a large, enzyme complex, termed the cellulosome, typically located on their cell surface to break down these materials. The assembly and organization of the cellulosome is critical for its ability to perform the synergistic and highly efficient breakdown of biomass. We are using a dissect-and-build structure-based approach to characterize cellulosome assembly, organization, and function. Since cellulosic wastes have also become a major source of environmental pollution and that cellulosic biomass is recognized as one of the only sustainable and renewable primary energy resources that can provide liquid transportation fuels, our findings will not only advance the basic knowledge of this system, and of macromolecular complexes in general, it will provide valuable structural insights that could be employed in the generation of engineering cellulose-degrading systems. The training in molecular biology, biochemistry, physical biochemistry, and structural biology approaches and our international collaboration with the world leader in cellulosome biochemistry will provide trainees with a diverse skill-set in an area of significant interest in the biotechnology sector, as well as in the pharmaceutical and academic industries.