FUNCTION AND SYNTHESIS OF ENZYMES INVOLVED IN LIGNIN DEGRADATION

Recent progress made in lignin degradation is rather impressive particularly in the enzymatic area where several new enzymes have been described. However, the full understanding of the enzymatic arsenal involved in the primary attack of the complex polymer is still incomplete and only slowly increasing. Also cultivation of the prominent lignin degraders like Phanerochaete chrysosporium creates difficulties arising from the fact that so far no true stability in enzyme synthesis of fungal systems has been attained. In other words, no continuous cultivation has been established; even repetitive batch cultures are generally fading out in their activity of ligninase or protein excretion on the whole.