Abstract
Biodegradation of lignin, one of the most abundant components of lignocellulosic plant biomass, represents a key step for carbon recycling. The structure of lignin, however, makes it recalcitrant to degradation. This correlates both to environmental issues and agroindustrial utilization of lignocellulosic plant biomass. By cross-linking to both cellulose and hemicellulose, lignin forms a barrier that prevents the accessibility of chemicals or lignocellulolytic enzymes into the interior of lignocellulosic structure. The presence of lignin negatively affects the utility of cellulose in pulp and paper industry, textile industry, biofuel production, as well as animal feed. To improve the bioprocessing of lignocellulosic feedstocks in various industries, more effective degradation methods of lignin are in high demand. Some microbes are able to efficiently degrade lignin using a combination of extracellular ligninolytic enzymes, organic acids, mediators, and several accessory enzymes. Exploring the range of ligninolytic microbial biodiversity is the key to developing effective and eco-friendly strategies for environmental restoration or optimal and sustainable agroindustrial utilization of plant biomass. This study gives an insight of ligninolytic microbes and the extracellular enzymes implicated in lignin degradation.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Aarti C, Arasu MV, Agastian P (2015) Lignin degradation: a microbial approach. South Indian J Biol Sci 1:119–127
Abdel-Hamid AM, Solbiati JO, Cann IKO (2013) Insights into lignin degradation and its potential industrial applications. Adv Appl Microbiol 82:1–28
Aguiar A, Ferraz A (2007) Fe3+- and Cu2+-reduction by phenol derivatives associated with Azure B degradation in Fenton-like reactions. Chemosphere 66:947–954
Alcalde M (2015) Engineering the ligninolytic enzyme consortium. Trends Biotechnol 33:155–162
Anderson WF, Akin DE (2008) Structural and chemical properties of grass lignocelluloses related to conversion for biofuels. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 35:355–366
Arantes V, Milagres AMF (2007) The synergistic action of ligninolytic enzymes (MnP and Laccase) and Fe3+-reducing activity from white-rot fungi for degradation of Azure B. Enzym Microb Technol 42:17–22
Archibald FS (1992) A new assay for lignin-type peroxidases employing the dye azure B. Appl Environ Microbiol 58:3110–3116
Arora DS, Sharma RK (2010) Ligninolytic fungal laccases and their biotechnological applications. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 160:1760–1788
Beeson WT, Vu VV, Span EA, Phillips CM, Marletta MA (2015) Cellulose degradation by polysaccharide monooxygenases. Annu Rev Biochem 84:923–946
Christopher LP, Yao B, Ji Y (2014) Lignin biodegradation with laccase-mediator systems. Front Energy Res 2:1–13
Cragg SM, Beckham GT, Bruce NC, Bugg TD, Distel DL, Dupree P, Etxabe AG, Goodell BS, Jellison J, McGeehan JE, McQueen-Mason SJ, Schnorr K, Walton PH, Watts JE, Zimmer M (2015) Lignocellulose degradation mechanisms across the Tree of Life. Curr Opin Chem Biol 29:108–119
da Silva C-MJ, Maciel GM, Castoldi R, da Silva MS, Dorneles Inácio F, Bracht A, Peralta RM (2013) Involvement of lignin-modifying enzymes in the degradation of herbicides. In: Price A (ed) Herbicides–advances in research. In Tech, Rijeka
Dashtban M, Schraft H, Syed TA, Qin W (2010) Fungal biodegradation and enzymatic modification of lignin. Int J Biochem Mol Biol 1:36–50
de Koker TH, Mozuch MD, Cullen D, Gaskell J, Kersten PJ (2004) Isolation and purification of pyranose 2-oxidase from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and characterization of gene structure and regulation. Appl Environ Microbiol 70:5794–5800
Dhouib A, Hamza M, Zouari H, Mechichi T, Hmidi R, Labat M, Martinez MJ, Sayadi S (2005) Screening for ligninolytic enzyme production by diverse fungi from Tunisia. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 21:1415–1423
Erden E, Ucar CM, Gezer T, Pazarlioglu NK (2009) Screening for ligninolytic enzymes from autochthonous fungi and applications for decolorization of Remazole Marine Blue. Braz J Microbiol 40:346–353
Ferreira-Neila P, Hernandez-Ortega A, Herguedas B, Rencoret J, Gutiérrez A, MartÃnez MJ, Jiménez-Barbero J, Medina M, MartÃnez AT (2010) Kinetic and chemical characterization of aldehyde oxidation by fungal aryl-alcohol oxidase. Biochem J 425:585–593
Floudas D, Binder M, Riley R, Barry K, Blanchette RA, Henrissat B, MartÃnez AT, Otillar R, Spatafora JW, Yadav JS, Aerts A, Benoit I, Boyd A, Carlson A, Copeland A, Coutinho PM, de Vries RP, Ferreira-Neila P, Findley K, Foster B, Gaskell J, Glotzer D, Górecki P, Heitman J, Hesse C, Hori C, Igarashi K, Jurgens JA, Kallen N, Kersten P, Kohler A, Kües U, Kumar TKA, Kuo A, La Butti K, Larrondo LF, Lindquist E, Ling A, Lombard V, Lucas S, Lundell T, Martin R, DJ ML, Morgenstern I, Morin E, Murat C, Nagy LG, Nolan M, Ohm RA, Patyshakuliyeva A, Rokas A, Ruiz-Dueñas FJ, Sabat G, Salamov A, Samejima M, Schmutz J, Slot JC, St. John F, Stenlid J, Sun H, Sun S, Syed K, Tsang A, Wiebenga A, Young D, Pisabarro A, Eastwood DC, Martin F, Cullen D, Grigoriev IV, Hibbett DS (2012) The Paleozoic origin of enzymatic lignin decomposition reconstructed from 31 fungal genomes. Science 336:1715–1719
Garcia-Ruiz E, Mate DM, Gonzalez-Perez D, Molina-Espeja P, Camarero S, Martınez AT, Ballesteros AO, Alcalde M (2014) Directed evolution of ligninolytic oxidoreductases: from functional expression to stabilization and beyond. In: Fessner W (ed) Cascade biocatalysis. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim, pp 1–22
Gellerstedt G, Henriksson G (2008) In: Belgacem M, Gandini A (eds) Lignins: major sources, structure and properties. Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp 201–224
Hammel KE, Cullen D (2008) Role of fungal peroxidases in biological ligninolysis. Curr Opin Plant Biol 11:349–355
Hatakka A (2005) Biodegradation of lignin. In: Alexander S (ed) Biopolymers [online]. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
Hatakka A, Hammel KE (2011) Fungal biodegradation of lignocelluloses. In: Hofrichter M (ed) Industrial applications. Springer, Berlin, pp 319–340
Hernandez-Ortega A, Ferreira-Neila P, Martinez AT (2012) Fungal aryl-alcohol oxidase: a peroxide-producing flavoenzyme involved in lignin degradation. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 93:1395–1410
Herpoël I, Moukha S, Lesage-Meessen L, Sigoillot JC, Asther M (2000) Selection of Pycnoporus cinnabarinus strains for laccase production. FEMS Microbiol Lett 183:301–306
Higuchi T (1997) Biochemistry and molecular biology of wood. Springer, London
Hofrichter M (2002) Lignin conversion by manganese peroxidase (MnP). Enz Microb Technol 30:454–466
Hofrichter M, Ullrich R (2006) Heme-thiolate haloperoxidases: versatile biocatalysts with biotechnological and environmental significance. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 71:276–288
Huang XF, Santhanam N, Badri DV, Hunter WJ (2013) Isolation and characterization of lignin-degrading bacteria from rainforest soils. Biotechnol Bioeng 110:1616–1626
Hunt CG, Houtman CJ, Jones DC, Kitin P, Korripally P, Hammel KE (2013) Spatial mapping of extracellular oxidant production by a white rot basidiomycete on wood reveals details of ligninolytic mechanism. Environ Microbiol 15:956–966
Janusz G, Kucharzyk KH, Pawlik A, Staszczaka M, Paszczynskic AJ (2013) Fungal laccase, manganese peroxidase and lignin peroxidase: gene expression and regulation. Enzym Microb Technol 52:1–12
Kajisa T, Yoshida M, Igarashi K, Katayamab A, Nishino T, Samejimaa M (2004) Characterization and molecular cloning of cellobiose dehydrogenase from the brown- rot fungus Coniophora puteana. J Biosci Bioeng 98:57–63
Kumar M, Verma S, Gazara RK, Kumar M, Pandey A, Verma PK, Thakur IS (2018) Genomic and proteomic analysis of lignin degrading and polyhydroxyalkanoate accumulating β-proteobacterium Pandoraea sp. ISTKB Biotechnol Biofuels 11:154–176
Kuwahara M, Glenn JK, Morgan MA, Gold MH (1984) Separation and characterization of two extracellular H2O2 dependent oxidases from ligninolytic cultures of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. FEBS Lett 169:247–250
Lambertz C, Ece S, Fischer R, Commandeur U (2016) Progress and obstacles in the production and application of recombinant lignin-degrading peroxidases. Bioengineered 7:145–154
Leonowicz A, Cho NS, Luterek J, Wilkolazka A, Wojtas-Wasilewska M, Matuszewska A, Hofrichter M, Wesenberg D, Rogalski J (2001) Fungal laccase: properties and activity on lignin. J Basic Microbiol 41:185–227
Levasseur A, Piumi F, Coutinho PM, Rancurel C, Asther M, Delattre M, Henrissat B, Pontarotti P, Asther M, Record E (2008) FOLy: an integrated database for the classification and functional annotation of fungal oxidoreductases potentially involved in the degradation of lignin and related aromatic compounds. Fungal Genet Biol 45:638–645
Li J, Yuan H, Yang J (2009) Bacteria and lignin degradation. Front Biol China 4:29–38
Liers C, Arnstadt T, Ullrich R, Hofrichter M (2011) Patterns of lignin degradation and oxidative enzyme secretion by different wood- and litter-colonizing basidiomycetes and ascomycetes grown on beech-wood. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 78:91–102
Mäkelä M, Galkin S, Hatakka A, Lundell T (2002) Production of organic acids and oxalate decarboxylase in lignin-degrading white rot fungi. Enzyme Microb Technol 30:542–549
Nelsen MP, DiMichele WA, Peters SE, Boycea CK (2016) Delayed fungal evolution did not cause the Paleozoic peak in coal production. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113:2442–2447
Nousiainen P, Maijala P, Hatakka A, Martinez AT (2009) Syringyl-type simple plant phenolics as mediating oxidants in laccase catalyzed degradation of lignocellulosic materials: model compound studies. Holzforschung 63:699–704
O’Neill R, Snowdon RJ, Kohler W (2003) Population genetics aspects of biodiversity. Prog Bot 64:115–137
Olga VKS, Elena VS, Valeria PG, Olga VM, Natalia VL, Aida ND, Alexander IJ, Alexander M (1998) Purification and characterization of the constitutive form of laccase from basidiomycete Coriolus hirsutus and effect of inducers on laccase synthesis. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 28:47–54
Ortiz-Bermudez P, Srebotnik E, Hammel KE (2003) Chlorination and cleavage of lignin structures by fungal chloroperoxidases. Appl Environ Microb 69:5015–5018
Oyadomari M, Shinohara H, Johjima T, Wariishi H, Tanaka H (2003) Electrochemical characterization of lignin peroxidase from the white-rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium. J Mol Catal B Enzymatic 21:291–297
Palacios-Orueta A, Chuvieco E, Parra A, Carmona-Moreno C (2005) Biomass burning emissions: a review of models using remote-sensing data. Environ Monit Assess 104:189–209
Piontek K, Ullrich R, Liers C, Diederichs K, Plattner DA, Hofrichter M (2010) Crystallization of a 45 kDa peroxygenase/ peroxidase from the mushroom Agrocybe aegerita and structure determination by SAD utilizing only the haem iron. Acta Crystallogr F 66:693–698
Piumi F, Levasseur A, Navarro D, Zhou S, Mathieu Y, Ropartz D, Ludwig D, Faulds CB, Record E (2014) A novel glucose dehydrogenase from the white-rot fungus Pycnoporus cinnabarinus: production in Aspergillus niger and physicochemical characterization of the recombinant enzyme. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 98:10105–10118
Poppius-Levlin K, Wang M, Tamminen T, Hortling B, Viikari L, Niku-Paavola ML (1999) Effects of laccase/HBT treatment on pulp and lignin structures. J Pulp Paper Sci 25:90–94
Presley GN, Panisko E, Purvine SO, Schilling JS (2018) Coupling secretomics with enzyme activities to compare the temporal processes of wood metabolism among white and brown rot fungi. Appl Environ Microbiol 84:1–12
Qin X, Luo H, Zhang X, Yao B, Ma F, Su X (2018) Dye-decolorizing peroxidases in Irpex lacteus combining the catalytic properties of heme peroxidases and laccase play important roles in ligninolytic system. Biotechnol Biofuels 11:302–312
Rastogi S, Chaudhary I (2011) Microbial degradation of lignin for enhancing the agroindustrial utility of plant biomass. In: Paterson RJ (ed) Lignin: properties and applications in biotechnology and bioenergy. Nova Science Publishers Inc., New York, pp 307–330
Rastogi S, Dwivedi UN (2006) Down-regulation of lignin biosynthesis in transgenic Leucaena leucocephala harboring O-methyltransferase gene. Biotechnol Prog 22:609–616
Rastogi S, Dwivedi UN (2008) Manipulation of lignin in plants with special reference to O-methyltransferase. Plant Sci 174:264–277
Rastogi Verma S, Dwivedi UN (2014) Lignin genetic engineering for improvement of wood quality: applications in paper and textile industries, fodder and bioenergy production. South Afr J Bot 91:107–125
Ruiz-Dueñas FJ, MartÃnez AT (2009) Microbial degradation of lignin: how a bulky recalcitrant polymer is efficiently recycled in nature and how we can take advantage of this. Microb Biotechnol 2:164–177
Rytioja J, Hilden K, Yuzon J, Hatakka A, de Vries RP, Makela MR (2014) Plant-polysaccharide-degrading enzymes from Basidiomycetes. Microbiol Mol Biol Rev 78:614–649
Sanchez C (2009) Lignocellulosic residues: biodegradation and bioconversion by fungi. Biotechnol Adv 27:185–194
Santhanam N, Badri DV, Decker SR, Manter DK (2012) Lignocellulose decomposition by microbial secretions. In: Vivanco MJ, Baluska F (eds) Secretions and exudates in biological systems. Springer, Berlin, pp 125–153
Santos RB, Hart PW, Jameel H, Chang H (2013) Wood based lignin reactions important to the biorefinery and pulp and paper industries. Bioresources 8:1456–1477
Schmidt O (2006) Wood and tree fungi: biology, damage, protection and use. Springer, Berlin
Sigoillot JC, Berrin JG, Bey Lesage-Meessen L, Levasseur A, Lomascolo A, Record E, Uzan-Boukhris E (2012) Fungal strategies for lignin degradation. In: Jouanin L, Lapierre C (eds) Lignins: biosynthesis, biodegradation and bioengineering, vol 61. Academic Press, Elsevier, London, pp 263–308
Waldrop MP, Balser TC, Firestone MK (2000) Linking microbial community composition to function in a tropical soil. Soil Biol Biochem 32:1837–1846
Wang L, Nie Y, Tang Y-Q, Song X-M, Cao K, Sun L-Z, Wang Z-J, Wu X-L (2016) Diverse Bacteria with lignin degrading potentials isolated from two ranks of coal. Front Microbiol 7:1428–1441
Wang X, Ullrich R, Hofrichter M, Groves JT (2015) Heme-thiolate ferryl of aromatic peroxygenase is basic and reactive. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112:3686–3691
Wilhelm RC, Singh R, Eltis LD, Mohn WW (2019) Bacterial contributions to delignification and lignocellulose degradation in forest soils with metagenomic and quantitative stable isotope probing. ISME J 13:413–429
Yamada Y, Wang J, Kawagishi H, Hirai H (2014) Improvement of ligninolytic properties by recombinant expression of glyoxal oxidase gene in hyper lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 78:2128–2133
Zamocky M, Hofbauer S, Schaffner I, Gasselhuber B, Nicolussi A, Soudi M, Pirker KF, Furtmüller PG, Obingera C (2015) Independent evolution of four heme peroxidase superfamilies. Arch Biochem Biophys 574:108–119
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2020 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Chaudhary, I., Verma, S.R. (2020). Ligninolysis: Roles of Microbes and Their Extracellular Enzymes. In: Shah, M. (eds) Microbial Bioremediation & Biodegradation. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1812-6_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-1812-6_14
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-15-1811-9
Online ISBN: 978-981-15-1812-6
eBook Packages: Earth and Environmental ScienceEarth and Environmental Science (R0)