Lignin is a biopolymer found in plant cell walls that accounts for 30% of the organic carbon in the biosphere. White-rot fungi (WRF) are considered the most efficient organisms at degrading lignin in nature. While lignin depolymerization by WRF has been extensively studied, the possibility that WRF are able to utilize lignin as a carbon source is still a matter of controversy. Here, we employ 13C-isotope labeling, systems biology approaches, and in vitro enzyme assays to demonstrate that two WRF, Trametes versicolor and Gelatoporia subvermispora, funnel carbon from lignin-derived aromatic compounds into central carbon metabolism via intracellular catabolic pathways. These results provide insights into global carbon cycling in soil ecosystems and furthermore establish a foundation for employing WRF in simultaneous lignin depolymerization and bioconversion to bioproducts—a key step toward enabling a sustainable bioeconomy.
del Cerro, Carlos, et al. "Intracellular pathways for lignin catabolism in white-rot fungi." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 118, no. 9, Feb. 2021. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2017381118
del Cerro, Carlos, Erickson, Erika, Dong, Tao, Wong, Allison R., Eder, Elizabeth K., Purvine, Samuel O., Mitchell, Hugh D., Weitz, Karl K., Markillie, Lye Meng, Burnet, Meagan C., Hoyt, David W., Chu, Rosalie K., Cheng, Jan-Fang, Ramirez, Kelsey J., Katahira, Rui, Xiong, Wei, Himmel, Michael E., Subramanian, Venkataramanan, Linger, Jeffrey G., & Salvachúa, Davinia (2021). Intracellular pathways for lignin catabolism in white-rot fungi. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118(9). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2017381118
del Cerro, Carlos, Erickson, Erika, Dong, Tao, et al., "Intracellular pathways for lignin catabolism in white-rot fungi," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 118, no. 9 (2021), https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2017381118
@article{osti_1766898,
author = {del Cerro, Carlos and Erickson, Erika and Dong, Tao and Wong, Allison R. and Eder, Elizabeth K. and Purvine, Samuel O. and Mitchell, Hugh D. and Weitz, Karl K. and Markillie, Lye Meng and Burnet, Meagan C. and others},
title = {Intracellular pathways for lignin catabolism in white-rot fungi},
annote = {Lignin is a biopolymer found in plant cell walls that accounts for 30% of the organic carbon in the biosphere. White-rot fungi (WRF) are considered the most efficient organisms at degrading lignin in nature. While lignin depolymerization by WRF has been extensively studied, the possibility that WRF are able to utilize lignin as a carbon source is still a matter of controversy. Here, we employ 13C-isotope labeling, systems biology approaches, and in vitro enzyme assays to demonstrate that two WRF, Trametes versicolor and Gelatoporia subvermispora, funnel carbon from lignin-derived aromatic compounds into central carbon metabolism via intracellular catabolic pathways. These results provide insights into global carbon cycling in soil ecosystems and furthermore establish a foundation for employing WRF in simultaneous lignin depolymerization and bioconversion to bioproducts—a key step toward enabling a sustainable bioeconomy.},
doi = {10.1073/pnas.2017381118},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1766898},
journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America},
issn = {ISSN 0027-8424},
number = {9},
volume = {118},
place = {United States},
publisher = {National Academy of Sciences},
year = {2021},
month = {02}}
USDOE Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program; USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Transportation Office. Bioenergy Technologies Office; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308; AC02-05CH11231
OSTI ID:
1766898
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1770922 OSTI ID: 1778836
Journal Information:
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 118; ISSN 0027-8424