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Metabolism of lignin related aromatic compounds by Aspergillus japonicus

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Abstract

Aspergillus japonicus metabolizes a wide variety of aromatic compounds, some of them resulting from lignin degradation. The efficient conversion of such compounds is related to the efficiency shown by this fungus in degrading the aromatic portion of lignocarbohydrate complexes. The rate and extent of degradation of simpler aromatics is affected by cellobiose which enhances their degradation but there are examples in which it is inhibitory. The organism was capable of the following activities: Non-oxidative and oxidative decarboxylations, aromatic alcohol and aldehyde oxidation, aromatic acid reduction, side chain oxidation, demethylation of aromatic compounds, aromatic ring hydroxylation and aromatic ring cleavage. A scheme is shown for the biodegradative pathways of phenylpropanoids and derived compounds in A. japonicus. This versatile fungus seems to have more rapid rates and a wider spectrum of biodegradative activities than other fungi previously tested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Genetics, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel

    Oleg Milstein, Yaffa Vered, Lea Shragina & Jonathan Gressel

  2. Department of Biophysics, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Isreal

    Harold M. Flowers

  3. Forstbotanisches Institut der Universität, Gottingen, FRG

    Aloys Hüttermann

Authors
  1. Oleg Milstein
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  2. Yaffa Vered
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  3. Lea Shragina
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  4. Jonathan Gressel
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  5. Harold M. Flowers
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  6. Aloys Hüttermann
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Milstein, O., Vered, Y., Shragina, L. et al. Metabolism of lignin related aromatic compounds by Aspergillus japonicus . Arch. Microbiol. 135, 147–154 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408025

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00408025

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