Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Research Briefing
  • Published:

Lignin modification by anaerobes revealed

Nature Microbiology volume 8, pages 567–568 (2023)Cite this article

Subjects

We present evidence that lignin, a recalcitrant and partially aromatic polymer found in plant cell walls, can be modified by anaerobic microorganisms. This finding overturns a long-standing paradigm that all biological processes of lignin degradation require oxygen and motivates further exploration of understudied biology to inform biotechnological innovation.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Fig. 1: Lignin in sorghum cell walls before and after digestion by anaerobic fungi.

References

  1. Singh, N. et al. Global status of lignocellulosic biorefinery: challenges and perspectives. Bioresour. Technol. 344, 126415 (2022). A review article that summarizes the current deployment of lignocellulosic biorefineries and relevant technical and economic challenges.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Ragauskas, A. J. et al. Lignin valorization: improving lignin processing in the biorefinery. Science 344, 1246843 (2014). A review article that discusses challenges and opportunities presented by lignin in lignocellulosic biorefineries.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Pollegioni, L., Tonin, F. & Rosini, E. Lignin-degrading enzymes. FEBS J. 282, 1190–1213 (2015). A comprehensive review article that presents previously known lignin-active enzymes and the organisms that produce them.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Kim, H. & Ralph, J. Solution-state 2D NMR of ball-milled plant cell wall gels in DMSO-d6/pyridine-d5. Org. Biomol. Chem. 8, 576–591 (2010). This paper reports the development of the two-dimensional NMR methods that we used in this study.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Lankiewicz, T. S., Lillington, S. P. & O'Malley, M. A. Enzyme discovery in anaerobic fungi (Neocallimastigomycetes) enables lignocellulosic biorefinery innovation. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 86, e0004122 (2022). A review article that considersanaerobic fungi as potential sources for lignocellulose deconstruction enzymes.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Additional information

Publisher’s note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

This is a summary of: Lankiewicz, T. S. et al. Lignin deconstruction by anaerobic fungi. Nat. Microbiol. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01336-8 (2023).

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Lignin modification by anaerobes revealed. Nat Microbiol 8, 567–568 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01343-9

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41564-023-01343-9

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing Microbiology

Sign up for the Nature Briefing: Microbiology newsletter — what matters in microbiology research, free to your inbox weekly.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing: Microbiology