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Biodegradation of lignin-carbohydrate complexes

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Physiology of Biodegradative Microorganisms

Abstract

Covalent lignin-carbohydrate (LC) linkages exist in lignocellulose from wood and groups herbaceous plants. In wood, they consist of ester and ether linkages through sugar hydroxyl to the α-carbanol of phenylpropane subunits in lignin. In grasses, ferulic and p-coumaric acids are esterified to hemicelluloses and lignin, respectively. Hemicelluloses also contain substituents and side groups that restrict enzymatic attack. Water-soluble lignin-carbohydrate complexes (LCCs) often precipitate during digestion with polysaccharidases, and the residual sugars are more diverse than the bulk hemicellulose. A number of microbial esterases and hemicellulose polysaccharidases including acetyl xylan esterase, ferulic acid esterase, and p-coumaric esterase attack hemicellulose side chains. Accessory hemicellulases include α-L-arabinofuranosidase and α-methyl-glucuranosidase. Both of these side chains are involved in LC bonds. β-Glucosidase will attach sugar residues to lignin degradation products and when carbohydrate is attached to lignin, lignin peroxidase will depolymerize the lignin more readily.

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  1. Institute for Microbial and Biochemical Technology, USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory, One Gifford Pinchot Drive, Madison, WI, 53705-2398, USA

    Thomas W. Jeffries

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  1. Department of Applied Biology, University of Hull, UK

    Colin Ratledge

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Jeffries, T.W. (1991). Biodegradation of lignin-carbohydrate complexes. In: Ratledge, C. (eds) Physiology of Biodegradative Microorganisms. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3452-1_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3452-1_7

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