Wood degradation

Highley T, Murmanis LL. Determination of hydrogen peroxide production in Coriolus versicolor and Poriaplacenta during wood degradation. Mater Org 1985 29 241-252. 

Kim et al. (67) P. placenta Polyclonal antiserum was produced to P. placenta extracellular metabolites red spruce and birch were degraded by P. placenta using the soil-block procedure degraded wood-block samples were prepared for TEM and the immunoelectron localization of wood-degrading enzymes Extracellular membrane structures (matrix) were observed surrounding hyphae, which degraded spruce and birch wood the matrix labeled positively with antisera produced to P. placenta extracellular metabolites... 

Green et al. (69) P. plancenta P. placenta (Fr.) 7. Lars et Lomb Extracellular wood degrading enzymes... 

Kim, Y. S. and Singh, A. P. (1999). Micromorphological characteristics of compression wood degradation in waterlogged archaeological pine wood. Holzforschung 53 381-385. 

Wood-degrading fungi produce a family of pyranose oxidases (EC 1.1.3.10), enzymes catalyzing the oxidation at C-2 of several aldoses. A simple and convenient conversion of D-glucose into D-arabino-hexos-2-ulose involves the use of a pyranose-2-oxidase isolated from Polyporus obtusus, which was purified and immobilized on activated CH-Sepharose 4B.446... 

Figure 2.15. FTIR spectra of the humic-like substances produced by (1) C. maxima, (2) C. maxima + C. hirsutus, and (3) C. hirsutus. Reprinted from Yavmetidinov, I. S., Stepnova, E. V., Gavrilova, V. R, et al. (2003). Isolation and characterization of humin-like substances produced by wood-degrading white rot fungi. Appl. Biochem. Microbiol. 39, 257-264, with permission from Springer.

Xu, G., and Goodell, B. (2001). Mechanisms of wood degradation by brown-rot fungi Chelator-mediated cellulose degradation and binding of iron by cellulose. J. Biotech. 87, 43-57. 

Bermek H, Yazici H, Oztiirk MH et al (2004) Purification and characterization of manganese peroxidase from wood-degrading fungus Trichophyton rubrum LSK-27. Enzyme Microb Technol 35 87-92... 

Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) has been of much interest as the most promising reconstituted product. MDF can be utilized not only for interior materials and furniture but for construction materials. One of the inferior properties of MDF is the dimensional instability when exposed to humid condition. It is also quite often invaded by wood-degrading organisms. 

Iroexll and Benzadox. A wood-degrading basldlomycete, Iroex Dachvodon. produces Irpexll [47], which had antibacterial activity (1891. Later, the compound was found to have phytotoxic properties and to be structurally related to several synthetic herbicides. Including benzadox (benzamido-oxyacetic acid) [48]... 

Orth A. B., Roye D. J., and Tien D. M. (1993) Ubiquity of lignin degrading peroxidases among various wood degrading fungi. App/. Environ. Microbiol. 59, 4017-4023. 

Almost all chemical reactions require a catalyst. Strong acid catalysts cannot be used with wood because they cause extensive degradation. The most favorable catalyst from the standpoint of wood degradation is a weakly alkaline one. Alkaline catalysts are also favored because many of them swell the wood structure and give better penetration (see Table II). The catalyst used should be effective at low reaction temperatures, easily removed after reaction, nontoxic, and noncorrosive. In most cases, the organic tertiary amines are best suited for this purpose. 

Table III lists representative wood-decomposing insects and marine borers and summarizes some features of their action on wood. Figure 2 shows the extensive damage caused by some of these wood-decomposing animals. Only a few detailed studies of the chemistry and biochemistry of wood degradation by the insects and marine borers have been made. Because the animals derive nourishment from the structural polymers of wood, the subject is of practical significance and deserves more research attention.

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