Unravelling the regulatory network behind chitin degradation in Serratia marcescens
- Author
- Wouter Demeester (UGent) , Brecht De Paepe (UGent) , Chiara Guidi (UGent) and Marjan De Mey (UGent)
- Organization
- Project
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- New-to-nature Biological Sensors: Unlocking the full potential of biological sensors beyond nature
- Expanding the genetic circuit repertoire for the optimization of microbial cell factories producing partially acetylated chitooligosaccharides.
- Design of a bioactive metabolite discovery pipeline by exploiting the chemical warfare during tomatofungi interactions
- Merging immunology with synthetic biology to improve animal health: strain engineering for the production of structurally defined carbohydrates with immunomodulating properties
- Biohexamine - a path towards securing responsible producers and societies
- Abstract
- Chitin degradation plays a crucial role in bacterial nutrient recycling and is performed by specialised, chitinolytic microorganisms such as Serratia marcescens, which is known to excel at this biological process. While its chitinolytic enzymes have been studied in detail, the underlying regulatory systems that allow such proficiency at chitin utilisation remain elusive. This review addresses different aspects of chitin degradation by Serratia marcescens. Together with a summary of the necessary enzymes and transport systems for extracellular chitin degradation, we focus on the strategies employed by Serratia marcescens for optimal use of different carbon sources in the presence of chitin. A complex, multi-layered, regulatory network results in ‘bet-hedging’, involving the formation of phenotypically bistable populations that facilitate a rapid transition towards chitin degradation when required. For the first time, a model of chitin degradation by Serratia marcescens is proposed, and aspects that currently remain elusive are highlighted. Hence, this review provides the basis for further investigations to reach a holistic understanding of this intriguing and important biological system.
- Keywords
- Serratia marcescens, chitin degradation, bet-hedging, regulatory networks, ChiR, CARBON CATABOLITE REPRESSION, SUGAR PHOSPHOTRANSFERASE SYSTEM, STOCHASTIC GENE-EXPRESSION, BINDING PROTEIN CBP21, ESCHERICHIA-COLI, TRANSCRIPTION ACTIVATION, SMALL RNA, BACTER
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Citation
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication: http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-01JQNKAJ1QQ5TY90JR0J9YG311
- MLA
- Demeester, Wouter, et al. “Unravelling the Regulatory Network behind Chitin Degradation in Serratia Marcescens.” BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS, vol. 100, no. 4, 2025, pp. 1698–715, doi:10.1111/brv.70020.
- APA
- Demeester, W., De Paepe, B., Guidi, C., & De Mey, M. (2025). Unravelling the regulatory network behind chitin degradation in Serratia marcescens. BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS, 100(4), 1698–1715. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70020
- Chicago author-date
- Demeester, Wouter, Brecht De Paepe, Chiara Guidi, and Marjan De Mey. 2025. “Unravelling the Regulatory Network behind Chitin Degradation in Serratia Marcescens.” BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS 100 (4): 1698–1715. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70020.
- Chicago author-date (all authors)
- Demeester, Wouter, Brecht De Paepe, Chiara Guidi, and Marjan De Mey. 2025. “Unravelling the Regulatory Network behind Chitin Degradation in Serratia Marcescens.” BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS 100 (4): 1698–1715. doi:10.1111/brv.70020.
- Vancouver
- 1.Demeester W, De Paepe B, Guidi C, De Mey M. Unravelling the regulatory network behind chitin degradation in Serratia marcescens. BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS. 2025;100(4):1698–715.
- IEEE
- [1]W. Demeester, B. De Paepe, C. Guidi, and M. De Mey, “Unravelling the regulatory network behind chitin degradation in Serratia marcescens,” BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS, vol. 100, no. 4, pp. 1698–1715, 2025.
@article{01JQNKAJ1QQ5TY90JR0J9YG311,
abstract = {{Chitin degradation plays a crucial role in bacterial nutrient recycling and is performed by specialised, chitinolytic microorganisms such as Serratia marcescens, which is known to excel at this biological process. While its chitinolytic enzymes have been studied in detail, the underlying regulatory systems that allow such proficiency at chitin utilisation remain elusive. This review addresses different aspects of chitin degradation by Serratia marcescens. Together with a summary of the necessary enzymes and transport systems for extracellular chitin degradation, we focus on the strategies employed by Serratia marcescens for optimal use of different carbon sources in the presence of chitin. A complex, multi-layered, regulatory network results in ‘bet-hedging’, involving the formation of phenotypically bistable populations that facilitate a rapid transition towards chitin degradation when required. For the first time, a model of chitin degradation by Serratia marcescens is proposed, and aspects that currently remain elusive are highlighted. Hence, this review provides the basis for further investigations to reach a holistic understanding of this intriguing and important biological system.}},
author = {{Demeester, Wouter and De Paepe, Brecht and Guidi, Chiara and De Mey, Marjan}},
issn = {{1464-7931}},
journal = {{BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS}},
keywords = {{Serratia marcescens,chitin degradation,bet-hedging,regulatory networks,ChiR,CARBON CATABOLITE REPRESSION,SUGAR PHOSPHOTRANSFERASE SYSTEM,STOCHASTIC GENE-EXPRESSION,BINDING PROTEIN CBP21,ESCHERICHIA-COLI,TRANSCRIPTION ACTIVATION,SMALL RNA,BACTER}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{1698--1715}},
title = {{Unravelling the regulatory network behind chitin degradation in Serratia marcescens}},
url = {{http://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70020}},
volume = {{100}},
year = {{2025}},
}
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