New perspectives on the endo-beta-glucanases of glycosyl hydrolase Family 17

Isozymes of glycosyl hydrolase Family 17 hydrolyze 1,3-beta-glucan polysacc harides found in the cell wall matrix of plants and fungi, enabling these p lant enzymes to serve diverse roles in plant defense and plant development. Fourteen genes from Family 17 have been characterized in the genome of ric e. A sequence dendrogram analysis divided these genes into four subfamilies . The recombinant GNS1 enzyme from subfamily B had 1,3;1,4-beta-glucanase a ctivity, suggesting a role for this isozyme in plant development. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.