Regulation of coal polymer degradation by fungi. Quarterly report, 31 July 1997--30 September 1997
During this reporting period the authors continued their investigations of how low rank coals are degraded by wood rotting fungi. Previous investigations showed that ligninolytic cultures of P. chrysosporium could decolorize soluble low rank coal macromolecule. The authors continue to investigate this phenomenon. Consistent with earlier observations they conclude that soluble coal macromolecule is decolorized in ligninolytic cultures of P. chrysosporium. To determine if this fungus can depolymerize coal macromolecule, samples were analyzed by GPC-HPLC. These analyses suggested that when coal macromolecules were incubated with ligninolytic cultures of P. chrysosporium a slight decrease in the average peak molecular weight of this mixture had occurred. During this reporting period they also discovered that changes in buffer composition can alter the peak retention times of coal macromolecules during GPC-HPLC probably by causing dissociation and reassociation of individual macromolecules. In other experiments it has been shown that lignin peroxidases that are secreted by ligninolytic cultures of P. chrysosporium are responsible, at least in part, for decolorization of coal macromolecules. Taken together, these studies show that the lignin degrading system of P. chrysosporium is able to enzymatically attack macromolecules solubilized from low rank coal. The ability of nonacclimated bacteria from sewage sludge to used leonardite and soluble coal macromolecule as a substrate for methanogenesis was also investigated. To date, the bacterial consortium studied was unable to use these substrates for this purpose.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Notre Dame, IN (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG22-94PC94209
- OSTI ID:
- 10154050
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/PC/94209-14; ON: DE98059410; TRN: AHC29928%%1
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1997]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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