ENZYMES OF WHITE-ROT FUNGI INVOLVED IN LIGNIN DEGRADATION AND ECOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS FOR WOOD DECAY

White-rot fungi preferably degrade wood from deciduous trees, whilst wood decay by brown-rot fungi is predominant on coniferous substrates. A compilation of recent publications on ligninolytic fungal species and their substrate preference is presented. These organisms can be classified on the basis of their enzyme systems, but an unambiguous allocation to specific hosts proved to be difficult. Environmental conditions may be crucial in governing the selectivity of fungal biodegradation of wood components. Possible mechanisms of primary attack of the wood cell wall by hemicellulose degradation are discussed. Furthermore, a hypothetical scheme for lignin biodegradation involving oxidative cleavage of phenolic, C-alpha-oxo-substituted substructures is presented.