Novel family GH3 β-glucosidases or β-xylosidases of unknown function found in various animal groups, including birds and reptiles

•Putative GH3 proteins are found in various animal groups.•Their tertiary structures include domains 1 and 2 and the FnIII domain.•Catalytic residues and residues forming substrate binding subsite −1 are conserved.•Transcription data point to possible role of animal GH3 proteins in embryogenesis.•Patchy distribution is probably a result of independent gene loss events.

Proteins from the glycoside hydrolase family 3 (GH3) are important bacterial, fungal and plant enzymes involved in cell wall remodeling, energy metabolism and pathogen defense but no animal GH3 proteins have been reported so far. In presented work we use the in silico approach to describe putative GH3 proteins of animals. Based on tertiary structure modeling, domain organization and transcriptomics data analysis, presence of catalytic and substrate binding residues and evolutionary relationship inference, we assume that there is a monophyletic group of GH3 enzymes (probably β-xylosidases) found in various animal taxa with possible role in development.

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