甲殼動物蛀木水虱危害木船和碼頭木制設(shè)施,，俗稱“吃木蟲”,。而英國一項最新研究說，蛀木水虱其實也有一定益處,，它體內(nèi)含有的一種特殊的酶有助于將木頭分解為生物能源,。
英國樸次茅斯大學(xué)等機構(gòu)研究人員在新一期美國《國家科學(xué)院學(xué)報》（PNAS）上報告說，與白蟻等其他以木材為食的動物不同,，蛀木水虱體內(nèi)并沒有幫助消化木質(zhì)的微生物,，因此它完全靠自己將木質(zhì)纖維素分解為糖分。研究發(fā)現(xiàn),，蛀木水虱體內(nèi)擁有大量具備這種功能的酶,，其中有的酶以前從未在別的動物體內(nèi)發(fā)現(xiàn)過。
參與研究的西蒙·克拉格博士說,，在蛀木水虱體內(nèi)發(fā)生的這種化學(xué)反應(yīng),，可為生物能源生產(chǎn)技術(shù)的研發(fā)提供很好的線索。目前常見的生物能源是利用玉米,、甘蔗等作物生產(chǎn)乙醇燃料,，而直接利用木頭、稻草等生物質(zhì)來生產(chǎn)生物能源的技術(shù)還有待改善,。
蛀木水虱是海洋中的一種小型甲殼動物,，會蛀蝕木船底部、浮木,、碼頭木質(zhì)建筑的水下部分等,，對航海業(yè)和海港建筑造成很大危害。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
PNAS doi: 10.1073/pnas.0914228107
Molecular insight into lignocellulose digestion by a marine isopod in the absence of gut microbes
Andrew J. Kinga, Simon M. Craggb, Yi Lia, Jo Dymondb, Matthew J. Guilleb, Dianna J. Bowlesa, Neil C. Brucea, Ian A. Grahama, and Simon J. McQueen-Masona,1
The digestion of lignocellulose is attracting attention both in terms of basic research into its metabolism by microorganisms and animals, and also as a means of converting plant biomass into biofuels. Limnoriid wood borers are unusual because, unlike other wood-feeding animals, they do not rely on symbiotic microbes to help digest lignocellulose. The absence of microbes in the digestive tract suggests that limnoriid wood borers produce all the enzymes necessary for lignocellulose digestion themselves. In this study we report that analysis of ESTs from the digestive system of Limnoria quadripunctata reveals a transcriptome dominated by glycosyl hydrolase genes. Indeed, > 20% of all ESTs represent genes encoding putative cellulases, including glycosyl hydrolase family 7 (GH7) cellobiohydrolases. These have not previously been reported in animal genomes, but are key digestive enzymes produced by wood-degrading fungi and symbiotic protists in termite guts. We propose that limnoriid GH7 genes are important for the efficient digestion of lignocellulose in the absence of gut microbes. Hemocyanin transcripts were highly abundant in the hepatopancreas transcriptome. Based on recent studies indicating that these proteins may function as phenoloxidases in isopods, we discuss a possible role for hemocyanins in lignin decomposition.
