Enzyme synergy for plant cell wall polysaccharide degradation

Valorizing plant cell wall, marine and algal polysaccharides is of utmost importance for the development of the circular bioeconomy. This is because polysaccharides are by far the most abundant organic molecules found in nature with complex chemical struc-tures that require a large set of enzymes for their degradation. Microorganisms produce polysaccharide-specific enzymes that act in synergy when performing hydrolysis. Although discovered since decades enzyme synergy is still poorly understood at the molecular level and thus it is difficult to harness and optimize. In the last few years, more attention has been given to improve and characterize enzyme synergy for polysaccharide valorization. In this review, we summarize literature to provide an overview of the different type of synergy involving carbohydrate modifying enzymes and the recent advances in the field exemplified by plant cell-wall degradation.

Automated summary

Valuing plant, marine, and algal polysaccharides is crucial for the advancement of the circular bioeconomy. These organic molecules are highly abundant in nature and require a variety of enzymes for degradation due to their complex chemical structures. The understanding and optimization of enzyme synergy for polysaccharide valorization is still limited, but recent research has focused on improving and characterizing this synergy, particularly in the context of plant cell-wall degradation.