Katharina Duran, Michael Kohlstedt, Gijs van Erven, Cynthia E Klostermann, Antoine H P America, Edwin Bakx, Johan J P Baars, Antonie Gorissen, Ries de Visser, Ronald P de Vries, Christoph Wittmann, Rob N J Comans, Thomas W Kuyper, Mirjam A Kabel
Plant biomass conversion by saprotrophic fungi plays a pivotal role in terrestrial carbon (C) cycling. The general consensus is that fungi metabolize carbohydrates, while lignin is only degraded and mineralized to CO2 . Recent research, however, demonstrated fungal conversion of 13 C-monoaromatic compounds into proteinogenic amino acids. To unambiguously prove that polymeric lignin is not merely degraded, but also metabolized, carefully isolated 13 C-labeled lignin served as substrate for Agaricus bisporus , the world's most consumed mushroom...
April 19, 2024: Science Advances