Summary
Thermomonospora mesophila degraded [14C]lignin-labelled wheat lignocellulose to yield high molecular weight water-soluble products and a small amount of 14CO2. Solubilisation of [14C]lignin was found to be extracellular and inducible by growth on lignocellulose (straw) and hemicellulose (xylan), but was not correlated with xylanase or cellulase production.
The acid-precipitable product of straw degradation by T. mesophila was found to be a complex of lignin, pentose-rich carbohydrate and protein with some similarity to humic acids. Solid-state 13C-NMR spectra of the dried product were generally similar to those of chemically extracted milled straw lignin but showed an increased content of carbonyl groups.
The relationship between degradation and solubilisation of lignin is discussed and a role suggested for actinomycetes in humification and the exploitation of lignocellulose bioconversion.
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McCarthy, A.J., Paterson, A. & Broda, P. Lignin solubilisation by Thermomonospora mesophila . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 24, 347–352 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257062
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00257062