The Paleozoic origin of enzymatic mechanisms for lignin degradation reconstructed using 31 fungal genomes
Wood is a major pool of organic carbon that is highly resistant to decay, owing largely to the presence of lignin. The only organisms capable of substantial lignin decay are white rot fungi in the Agaricomycetes, which also contains non?lignin-degrading brown rot and ectomycorrhizal species. Comparative analyses of 31 fungal genomes (12 generated for this study) suggest that lignin-degrading peroxidases expanded in the lineage leading to the ancestor of the Agaricomycetes, which is reconstructed as a white rot species, and then contracted in parallel lineages leading to brown rot and mycorrhizal species. Molecular clock analyses suggest that the origin of lignin degradation might have coincided with the sharp decrease in the rate of organic carbon burial around the end of the Carboniferous period.
- Research Organization:
- Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 1165864
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-6845E
- Journal Information:
- Science, Journal Name: Science Journal Issue: 6089 Vol. 336; ISSN 0036-8075
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Large-scale genome sequencing of mycorrhizal fungi provides insights into the early evolution of symbiotic traits
Gene Regulation Shifts Shed Light on Fungal Adaption in Plant Biomass Decomposers