Acetylxylan esterase involved in the hydrolysis of xylan, a major structural heterogeneous polysaccharide found in plant biomass representing the second most abundant polysaccharide in the biosphere, after cellulose. Degrades acetylated xylans by cleaving acetyl side groups from the hetero-xylan backbone. Deacetylation of xylans and xylo-oligosaccharides. Optimum pH is 8. Optimum temperature is 40 degrees Celsius. Glycan degradation; xylan degradation. Monomer. Has a modular structure: a carbohydrate-binding module (CBM) at the N-terminus, a linker rich in serines, threonines, and prolines, and a C-terminal carbohydrate esterase catalytic module. The genes for catalytic modules and CBMs seem to have evolved separately and have been linked by gene fusion. Glycosylated. Belongs to the carbohydrate esterase 1 (CE1) family. AxeA subfamily.