Cadherin Domains in the Polysaccharide-Degrading Marine Bacterium <i>Saccharophagus degradans</i> 2-40 Are Carbohydrate-Binding Modules

Abstract

The complex polysaccharide-degrading marine bacterium Saccharophagus degradans strain 2-40 produces putative proteins that contain numerous cadherin and cadherin-like domains involved in intercellular contact interactions. The current study reveals that both domain types exhibit reversible calcium-dependent binding to different complex polysaccharides which serve as growth substrates for the bacterium.