Lignin enzymatic degradation

Caldwell, E.S. and Steelink, C. (1969). Phenoxy radical intermediates in the enzymatic degradation of lignin model compounds. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta, 184,420-431. 

Ishikawa, H., W. J. Schubert, and F. F. Nord The Enzymatic Degradation of Softwood Lignin by White Rot Fungi. The Degradation by Polyporus versicolor and Forties fomentarius of Aromatic Compounds Structurally Related to Softwood Lignin. Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 100, 131-149 (1963). 

Cellulose is found in nature in combination with various other substances, the nature and composition of which depend on the source and previous history of the sample. In most plants, there are three major components cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin. Efficient utilization of all three components would greatly help the economics of any scheme to obtain fuel from biomass. Hemicelluloses, lignocellulose and lignin remaining after enzymatic degradation of the cellulose in wood would require chemical or thermal treatment - as distinct from biochemical - to produce a liquid fuel. 

Enzymatically degraded lignin also seems to be a potential source of chemicals, as can be seen from the extensive review of Harvey and coauthors (63). 

The high molecular lignin is enzymatically degraded to C6-C3 compounds or Ce-Ci compounds the latter are also formed from the Ce-Ca compounds by loss of two carbon atoms in the side chain. 

V Mechin, O ArgiUier, F Rocher, Y Hebert, I Mila, B Pollet, Y Barriere, C Lapierre. In search of a maize ideotype for cell wall enzymatic degradability nsing histological and biochemical lignin characterization. J AgrFood Chem 53 5872-5881, 2005. 

Grabber, J. H., Hatfield, R. D., Lu, F, and Ralph, J. (2008) Coniferyl ferulate incorporation into lignin enhances the alkaline delignification and enzymatic degradation of maize cell walls. Biomacromolecules 9(9), 2510-2516. 

Z. Xia, T. Yoshida, M. Eunaoka, Enzymatic degradation of highly phenolic lignin-based polymers (lignophenols), Eur. Polym. J. 39 (2003) 909-914. 

HARVEY, P.J., H.E. SCHOEMAKER, R.M. BOWEN, J.M. PALMER. 1985. Single-electron transfer processes and the reaction mechanism of enzymatic degradation of lignin. FEBS Lett. 183 13-16. 

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