cutinases
KYOO-tih-nay-siz
Definition
A group of enzymes that break down cutin, a waxy, water-repellent substance found in the outer layers of plant cells.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'cutis' (skin) combined with the suffix '-ase', which is standard in biochemistry to denote an enzyme. It was named for its ability to degrade cutin, the waxy outer coating of plants.
In the news
The article mentions cutinases to distinguish them from the newly identified depolymerase enzymes; researchers confirmed the worm enzymes are a unique class by proving they do not belong to the cutinase or lipase families.
A marine worm with no mouth and no gut makes its own enzyme for digesting the bioplastic its skin bacteria build up, and the same kind of enzyme turned up in 66 more animal species across nine phyla, from a sponge to an earthworm to a springtail
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com