Skip to main content
Applied and Environmental Microbiology logoLink to Applied and Environmental Microbiology
. 1983 Jun;45(6):1795–1801. doi: 10.1128/aem.45.6.1795-1801.1983

Rapid Degradation of Isolated Lignins by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Duane C Ulmer 1, Matti S A Leisola 1, Brigitte H Schmidt 1, Armin Fiechter 1
PMCID: PMC242541  PMID: 16346314

Abstract

Phanerochaete chrysosporium degraded purified Kraft lignin, alkali-extracted and dioxane-extracted straw lignin, and lignosulfonates at a similar rate, producing small-molecular-weight (∼1,000) soluble products which comprised 25 to 35% of the original lignins. At concentrations of 1 g of lignin liter−1, 90 to 100% of the acid-insoluble Kraft, alkali straw, and dioxane straw lignins were degraded by 1 g of fungal mycelium liter−1 within an active ligninolytic period of 2 to 3 days. Cultures with biomass concentrations as low as 0.16 g liter−1 could also completely degrade 1 g of lignin liter−1 during an active period of 6 to 8 days. The absorbance at 280 nm of 2 g of lignosulfonate liter−1 increased during the first 3 days of incubation and decreased to 35% of the original value during the next 7 days. The capacity of 1 g of cells to degrade alkali-extracted straw lignin under optimized conditions was estimated to be as high as 1.0 g day−1. This degradation occurred with a simultaneous glucose consumption rate of 1.0 g day−1. When glucose or cellular energy resources were depleted, lignin degradation ceased. The ability of P. chrysosporium to degrade the various lignins in a similar manner and at very low biomass concentrations indicates that the enzymes responsible for lignin degradation are nonspecific.

Full text

PDF
1800

Selected References

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

  1. Crawford R. L., Robinson L. E., Foster R. D. Polyguaiacol: a useful model polymer for lignin biodegradation research. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 May;41(5):1112–1116. doi: 10.1128/aem.41.5.1112-1116.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Forney L. J., Reddy C. A., Tien M., Aust S. D. The involvement of hydroxyl radical derived from hydrogen peroxide in lignin degradation by the white rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. J Biol Chem. 1982 Oct 10;257(19):11455–11462. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Jeffries T. W., Choi S., Kirk T. K. Nutritional Regulation of Lignin Degradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Aug;42(2):290–296. doi: 10.1128/aem.42.2.290-296.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Kirk T. K. Toward elucidating the mechanism of action of the ligninolytic systems in Basidiomycetes. Basic Life Sci. 1981;18:131–149. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4684-3980-9_9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Kutsuki H., Gold M. H. Generation of hydroxyl radical and its involvement in lignin degradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 1982 Nov 30;109(2):320–327. doi: 10.1016/0006-291x(82)91723-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Odier E., Monties B. Biodégradation de la lignine de blé par Xanthomonas 23. Ann Microbiol (Paris) 1978 Apr;129(3):361–377. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Applied and Environmental Microbiology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES