Fundamentals of Biochemistry: Life at the Molecular Level 5th Edition

Published by Wiley
ISBN 10: 1118918401
ISBN 13: 978-1-11891-840-1

Chapter 16 - Glycogen Metabolism and Gluconeogenesis - Exercises - Page 556: 21

Answer

A): Fucose is an L-configuration sugar found abundantly in the mammalian gut. In the mammalian gastrointestinal tract, fucose is an abundant component of glycans decorating proteins and lipids, especially on the epithelial surface facing the lumen and in mucosal secretions. This fucose sugar is used to develop a symbiotic relationship between the gut bacterias and the mammals. To use fucose as energy source, gut bacteria first liberate the fucose from host or dietary glycans and for this the bacterial cells uses the fucosidase enzyme which catalyzes the glycosidic bonds between fucose and glycans and this results in the release of fucose from the dietary glycans. This freed fucose is now utilized by the bacterial cells present in the gut as an energy source which maintains the proliferation of these gut microbiome. So that's why the fucosidase enzyme is useful for the gut microbiome. B): When the human host stops eating than there will be shortage of energy source for the gut microbiome and in that case the gut the gut microbiome and in that case the gut bacterias utilizes the fucose sugar by means of using the fucosidase enzyme and they still proliferate inside the gut, but the pathogenic microbes does not contain this enzyme so they are unable to utilize fucose as an energy source and this will stop the proliferation of these pathogenic microbes and which will eventually eliminates these pathogenic microbes from the intestine as symbiotic bacterial cells proliferate and they prevent any proliferation of these pathogenic bacteria. So through this the lack of fucosidase help prevent the growth of pathogens in the intestine particularly durinh illness when the host stops eating.

Work Step by Step

A): Fucose is an L-configuration sugar found abundantly in the mammalian gut. In the mammalian gastrointestinal tract, fucose is an abundant component of glycans decorating proteins and lipids, especially on the epithelial surface facing the lumen and in mucosal secretions. This fucose sugar is used to develop a symbiotic relationship between the gut bacterias and the mammals. To use fucose as energy source, gut bacteria first liberate the fucose from host or dietary glycans and for this the bacterial cells uses the fucosidase enzyme which catalyzes the glycosidic bonds between fucose and glycans and this results in the release of fucose from the dietary glycans. This freed fucose is now utilized by the bacterial cells present in the gut as an energy source which maintains the proliferation of these gut microbiome. So that's why the fucosidase enzyme is useful for the gut microbiome. B): When the human host stops eating than there will be shortage of energy source for the gut microbiome and in that case the gut the gut microbiome and in that case the gut bacterias utilizes the fucose sugar by means of using the fucosidase enzyme and they still proliferate inside the gut, but the pathogenic microbes does not contain this enzyme so they are unable to utilize fucose as an energy source and this will stop the proliferation of these pathogenic microbes and which will eventually eliminates these pathogenic microbes from the intestine as symbiotic bacterial cells proliferate and they prevent any proliferation of these pathogenic bacteria. So through this the lack of fucosidase help prevent the growth of pathogens in the intestine particularly durinh illness when the host stops eating.
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