Abstract:
Acetylation is one of the main obstacles to the effective enzymatic conversion of
hemicelluloses to fermentable sugars. In nature, the microbial degradation of hemicellulose
involves the action of deacetylating esterases that act synergistically with glycoside
hydrolases. In the industrial processing of lignocelluloses biomass, alkaline pretreatments
remove acetyl groups by saponification, but other non-alkaline pretreatment methods
generate acetylated hemicelluloses. Complete saccharification of plant hemicelluloses can’t
be achieved without the deacetylating enzymes. Recent years have witnessed considerale
progress in our understanding of the mode of acetylation of hemicellulose and mode of
action of microbial polysaccharide deacetylases. In this article we focus on the diversity and
role of acetylxylan esterases in the breakdown of acetylxylan, the most abundant
hemicellulose in nature.