This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Camarero, S Articles by Martínez, A T Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Camarero, S Articles by Martínez, A T Agricola Articles by Camarero, S Articles by Martínez, A T

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1994 December; 60(12): 4509-4516

Preferential degradation of phenolic lignin units by two white rot fungi.

Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.

ABSTRACT

The differential biodegradation of phenolic and nonphenolic (C-4-etherified) lignin units in wheat straw treated with the white rot fungi Pleurotus eryngii and Phanerochaete chrysosporium was investigated under solid-state fermentation conditions. Two analytical techniques applied to permethylated straw were used for this purpose, i.e., alkaline CuO degradation and analytical pyrolysis (both followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for product identification). Despite differences in the enzymatic machinery produced, both ligninolytic fungi caused a significant decrease in the relative amount of phenolic lignin units during the degradation process. Nevertheless, no differences in the biodegradation rates of phenolic and etherified cinnamic acids were observed. Changes in lignin composition and cinnamic acid content were also analyzed in the phenolic and nonphenolic lignin moieties. The results obtained are discussed in the context of the enzymatic mechanisms of lignin biodegradation.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Caramelo, L., Martínez, M. J., Martínez, A. T. (1999). A Search for Ligninolytic Peroxidases in the Fungus Pleurotus eryngii Involving alpha -Keto-gamma -Thiomethylbutyric Acid and Lignin Model Dimers. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 916-922 [Abstract] [Full Text]