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. 1987 Feb;53(2):242–245. doi: 10.1128/aem.53.2.242-245.1987

Selection and Improvement of Lignin-Degrading Microorganisms: Potential Strategy Based on Lignin Model-Amino Acid Adducts

Ming Tien 1,*, Philip J Kersten 1, T Kent Kirk 1
PMCID: PMC203644  PMID: 16347273

Abstract

The purpose of this investigation was to test a potential strategy for the ligninase-dependent selection of lignin-degrading microorganisms. The strategy involves covalently bonding amino acids to lignin model compounds in such a way that ligninase-catalyzed cleavage of the models releases the amino acids for growth nitrogen. Here we describe the synthesis of glycine-N-2-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl)ethane-2-ol (I) and demonstrate that growth (as measured by mycelial nitrogen content) of the known lignin-degrading basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium Burds. with compound I as the nitrogen source depends on its production of ligninase. Ligninase is shown to catalyze the oxidative C—C cleavage of compound I, releasing glycine, formaldehyde, and veratraldehyde at a 1:1:1 stoichiometry. P. chrysosporium utilizes compound I as a nitrogen source, but only after the cultures enter secondary metabolism (day 3 of growth), at which time the ligninase and the other components of the ligninolytic system (lignin → CO2) are expressed. Compound I and related adducts have potential not only in the isolation of lignin-degrading microbes but, perhaps of equal importance, in strain improvement.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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