> I want to know if anybody is working on the molecular aspects of carnivory.
I do so in the plumbagin group, part of an "extended caryophyllid
clade" (incl. Droseraceae, Nepenthaceae, Drosophyllaceae,
Dioncophyllaceae, etc.).
> I would expect that lots of insect cell-wall degrading enzymes would be
> involved.
This has very rarely been studied but as far as I know it is not
necessary to dissolve the exoskeleton for proper digestion. In fact,
the chitinous parts of the trapped creatures is frequently the only
remainder of cp prey. I think the action of hydrolytic enzymes
(in the first line proteases and phosphatases) works pretty well
through the tracheae of insects and that like. It would also be
rather difficult (of course not impossible!) to construct an enzyme
degrading insect cell-walls *and* keeping plant cell-walls intact(!).
Kind regards
Jan