Degradation Of Hemicellulose by Microbes ( Soil microbiology)
Microbial degradation of hemicellulose (Enzymes, Steps, Mechanisms): What is hemicellulose? Hemicellulose is a group of complex polysaccharides that are found in the fibers of plants along with other polysaccharides like cellulose and pectin. Hemicellulose consists of a heterogeneous group of carbohydrates where the structures of these carbohydrates are not clearly understood. The structures and physicochemical properties of polysaccharides are very different from each other. Hemicelluloses are not structurally related to cellulose, nor do they contain the same building blocks but they are partially soluble in water or alkali. Hemicelluloses are mostly mixed polymers, whereas cellulose is a homopolymer of glucose. Apart from arabinogalactan, all other hemicelluloses have short side-chains and low molecular weights. The hemicelluloses consist of either pentose (xylose, arabinose) or hexoses (glucose, mannose, galactose) as well as uronic acids. ...