Influence of ligninolytic enzymes on straw saccharification during fungal pretreatment

Cysteine facilitates the lignocellulolytic response of Trichoderma guizhouense NJAU4742 by indirectly up-regulating membrane sugar transporters

BACKGROUND

Filamentous fungi possess a rich CAZymes system, which is widely studied and applied in the bio-conversion of plant biomass to alcohol chemicals. Carbon source acquisition is the fundamental driver for CAZymes-producing sustainability and secondary metabolism, therefore, a deeper insight into the regulatory network of sugar transport in filamentous fungi has become urgent.

RESULTS

This study reports an important linkage of sulfur assimilation to lignocellulose response of filamentous fungus. Inorganic sulfur addition facilitated biodegradation of rice straw by Trichoderma guizhouense NJAU4742. Cysteine and glutathione were revealed as major intracellular metabolites responsive to sulfur addition by metabolomics, cysteine content was increased in this process and glutathione increased correspondingly. Two membrane sugar transporter genes, Tgmst1 and Tgmst2, were identified as the critical response genes significantly up-regulated when intracellular cysteine increased. Tgmst1 and Tgmst2 were both positively regulated by the glucose regulation-related protein (GRP), up-regulation of both Tgmst1 and Tggrp can cause a significant increase in intracellular glucose. The transcriptional regulatory function of GRP mainly relied on GSH-induced glutathionylation, and the transcription activating efficiency was positively related to the glutathionylation level, furthermore, DTT-induced deglutathionylation resulted in the down-regulation of downstream genes.

CONCLUSIONS

Inorganic sulfur addition induces a rise in intracellular Cys content, and the conversion of cysteine to glutathione caused the increase of glutathionylation level of GRP, which in turn up-regulated Tgmst1 and Tgmst2. Subsequently, the sugar transport efficiency of single cells was improved, which facilitated the maintenance of vigorous CAZymes metabolism and the straw-to-biomass conversion.

Site-directed modification of multifunctional lignocellulose-degrading enzymes of straw based on homologous modeling

Studying the straw lignocellulose strengthening mechanism during simultaneous degradation has important practical significance for improving resource utilization and reducing environmental pollution. In this paper, the degradation ability of four straw lignocellulose-degrading enzymes was evaluated by molecular docking and molecular dynamics. Using the significantly binds to straw lignocellulose-degrading enzyme as a template, a multifunctional lignocellulose-degrading enzyme 3CBH-1KS5-4XQD-1B85 was constructed based on amino acid recombination and homologous modeling. Five efficient degrading enzymes (3CBH-1, 3CBH-2, 3CBH-3, 3CBH-4, and 3CBH-5) were designed by site-directed mutagenesis of 3CBH-1KS5-4XQD-1B85 amino acid at position 346. Molecular dynamics showed that the degradation ability of 3CBH-1 was significant and it was 1.45 times higher than 3CBH-1KS5-4XQD-1B85. Moreover, the mechanism of enhanced degradability and the stability of the enzymes were explored. With the aid of Taguchi experiments, the suitable external environment for degrading straw was determined. In the presence of inhibitors (organic acids and phenolic compounds), the binding energy of 3CBH-1 (238.46 ± 30.96 kJ/mol) is 36.42% higher than that of 3CBH-1KS5-4XQD-1B85 (174.79 ± 20.35 kJ/mol) without external environmental stimulation. Based on homology modeling, this paper constructed a site-directed mutagenesis scheme of multifunctional enzymes, and the aim was to obtain multifunctional and efficient straw lignocellulose-degrading enzymes through protein engineering, which provided a feasible scheme for straw biodegradation.

Gut Lignocellulose Activity and Microbiota in Asian Longhorned Beetle and Their Predicted Contribution to Larval Nutrition

Anoplophora glabripennis (Asian longhorned beetle) is a wood-boring pest that can inhabit a wide range of healthy deciduous host trees in native and invaded areas. The gut microbiota plays important roles in the acquisition of nutrients for the growth and development of A. glabripennis larvae. Herein, we investigated the larval gut structure and studied the lignocellulose activity and microbial communities of the larval gut following feeding on different host trees. The larval gut was divided into foregut, midgut, and hindgut, of which the midgut is the longest, forming a single loop under itself. Microbial community composition and lignocellulose activity in larval gut extracts were correlated with host tree species. A. glabripennis larvae fed on the preferred host (Populus gansuensis) had higher lignocellulose activity and microbial diversity than larvae reared on either a secondary host (Salix babylonica) or a resistant host (Populus alba var. pyramidalis). Wolbachia was the most dominant bacteria in the gut of larvae fed on S. babylonica and P. alba var. pyramidalis, while Enterococcus and Gibbsiella were the most dominant in larvae fed on P. gansuensis, followed by Wolbachia. The lignocellulose-degrading fungus Fusarium solani was dominant in the larval gut fed on different host trees. Functional predictions of microbial communities in the larval gut fed on different resistant host trees suggested that they all play a role in degrading lignocellulose, detoxification, and fixing nitrogen, which likely contribute to the ability of these larvae to thrive in a broad range of host tree species.

Engineering living and regenerative fungal-bacterial biocomposite structures

Engineered living materials could have the capacity to self-repair and self-replicate, sense local and distant disturbances in their environment, and respond with functionalities for reporting, actuation or remediation. However, few engineered living materials are capable of both responsivity and use in macroscopic structures. Here we describe the development, characterization and engineering of a fungal-bacterial biocomposite grown on lignocellulosic feedstocks that can form mouldable, foldable and regenerative living structures. We have developed strategies to make human-scale biocomposite structures using mould-based and origami-inspired growth and assembly paradigms. Microbiome profiling of the biocomposite over multiple generations enabled the identification of a dominant bacterial component, Pantoea agglomerans, which was further isolated and developed into a new chassis. We introduced engineered P. agglomerans into native feedstocks to yield living blocks with new biosynthetic and sensing-reporting capabilities. Bioprospecting the native microbiota to develop engineerable chassis constitutes an important strategy to facilitate the development of living biomaterials with new properties and functionalities.

Solid-State Fermentation of Chestnut Shells and Effect of Explanatory Variables in Predictive Saccharification Models

In this study, chestnut shells (CNS), a recalcitrant and low-value agro-industrial waste obtained during the peeling of Castanea sativa fruits, were subjected to solid-state fermentation by six white-rot fungal strains (Irpex lacteus, Ganoderma resinaceum, Phlebia rufa, Bjerkandera adusta and two Trametes isolates). After being fermented, CNS was subjected to hydrolysis by a commercial enzymatic mix to evaluate the effect of fermentation in saccharification yield. After 48 h hydrolysis with 10 CMCase U mL−1 enzymatic mix, CNS fermented with both Trametes strains was recorded with higher saccharification yield (around 253 mg g−1 fermented CNS), representing 25% w/w increase in reducing sugars as compared to non-fermented controls. To clarify the relationships and general mechanisms of fungal fermentation and its impacts on substrate saccharification, the effects of some independent or explanatory variables in the production of reducing sugars were estimated by general predictive saccharification models. The variables considered were lignocellulolytic activities in fungal fermentation, CNS hydrolysis time, and concentration of enzymatic hydrolysis mix. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed a very high significant effect (p < 0.0001) of fungal laccase and xylanase activities in the saccharification models, thus proving the key potential of these enzymes in CNS solid-state fermentation.

Improving crude protein and methionine production, selective lignin degradation and digestibility of wheat straw by Inonotus obliquus using response surface methodology

BACKGROUND

To date, fungus-assisted pretreatment of agricultural residue has not become the preferred method to produce protein-enriched and ruminally digestible animal feed because of low time efficiency of fungal delignification and protein production, i.e. the long solid-state fermentation period, and because of laccase as a potential inhibitor of cellulose activity. In this study, response surface methodology was employed to optimize the parameters in the process of producing nutritious animal feed from wheat straw with Inonotus obliquus pretreatment.

RESULTS

The mineral salt solution containing (w/v) (NH₄ )₂ SO₄ 1%, MgSO₄ ·7H₂ O 0.03%, KH₂ PO₄ 0.011%, Tween-80 0.4%, and corn starch 10% with pH of 7.4 was optimized. Inonotus obliquus rapidly and completely colonized on wheat straw with an ergosterol content of 280 μg g^-1 dry matter, consuming 45% of lignin after 15 days of fermentation, producing maximums of lignin peroxidase (1729 IU g^-1 ), manganese peroxidase (610 IU g^-1 ) and laccase (98 IU g^-1 ) on days 5, 15, and 25, respectively. The crude protein (102.4 g kg^-1 ) of 15-day fermented wheat straw increased by ~132%. After hydrolysis, the essential protein-bound amino acids (15.3 g kg^-1 ) increased by ~47%, within which Met and Lys measured ~1070% and ~60% higher. The treatment with I. obliquus also improved the in vitro gas production after 72 h (IVGP₇₂ ) of wheat straw to 178.8 mL g^-1 organic matter (~43% increase).

CONCLUSION

For the first time, we found that I. obliquus is an effective white rot fungus turning wheat straw into ruminally digestible animal feed without laccase inhibitor.

Effect of alkali-treated birch sawdust on the lignocellulase secretion and exo-polysaccharide production by Inonotus obliquus under submerged fermentation and its lignocellulose degradation patterns

The objectives of this study were to investigate the medicinal mushroom Inonotus obliquus on the production of polysaccharides and changes of extracellular lignocellulolytic enzymes during submerged fermentation using alkali-treated birch sawdust as substrate. Meanwhile, in order to explore the degradation mode of lignocellulose in alkali-treated birch sawdust, degradation analysis of three components of lignocellulose was carried out. The fungus process in alkali-treated birch sawdust medium resulted in a higher degradation rate of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin of 39.24%, 51.00% and 31.3% after 11 days of submerged fermentation by the mycelium of I. obliquus, respectively. Maximal polysaccharide production and α-glucosidase inhibition rate determined in the alkali-treated birch sawdust medium were 6.93 mg/mL and 55.80%, while they were 4.98 mg/mL and 27.89% in the control. Moreover, high activities of laccase (51.95 IU/mL), CMCase (1.35 IU/mL), filter paper activity (0.50 IU/mL) and β-glucosidase (0.55 IU/mL) were observed in alkali-treated birch sawdust medium, respectively. The results demonstrated that the addition of alkali-treated birch sawdust could promote the yield and α-glucosidase inhibition activity of polysaccharides and induce the production of cellulase and xylanase, indicating that alkali pretreatment was conducive to utilization of birch sawdust by I. obliquus.

Physiological Characteristics and Comparative Secretome Analysis of Morchella importuna Grown on Glucose, Rice Straw, Sawdust, Wheat Grain, and MIX Substrates

Morels (Morchella sp.) are economically important edible macro-fungi, which can grow on various synthetic or semi-synthetic media. However, the complex nutritional metabolism and requirements of these fungi remain ill-defined. This study, based on the plant biomass commonly used in the artificial cultivation of morels, assessed and compared the growth characteristics and extracellular enzymes of Morchella importuna cultivated on glucose, rice straw, sawdust, wheat grain, and a mixture of equal proportions of the three latter plant substrates (MIX). M. importuna could grow on all five tested media but displayed significant variations in mycelial growth rate, biomass, and sclerotium yield on the different media. The most suitable medium for M. importuna was wheat and wheat-containing medium, followed by glucose, while rice straw and sawdust were the least suitable. A total of 268 secretory proteins were identified by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry detection. Functional classification and label-free comparative analysis of these proteins revealed that carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZYme) proteins were the predominant component of the secretome of M. importuna, followed by protease, peptidase, and other proteins. The abundances of CAZYme proteins differed among the tested media, ranging from 64% on glucose to 88% on rice straw. The CAZYme classes of glycoside hydrolases and carbohydrate-binding module were enriched in the five secretomes. Furthermore, the enzyme activities of CMCase, lignase, amylase, xylase, pNPCase, and pNPGase were detected during the continuous culture of M. importuna in MIX medium, and the relative expression of the corresponding genes were detected by quantitative real-time PCR. The combined data of growth potential, secretome, extracellular enzyme activity, and gene expression on different substrates inferred that M. importuna was weak in lignocellulose degradation but a good starch decomposer. Specifically, in terms of the degradation of cellulose, the ability to degrade cellulose into oligosaccharides was weaker compared with further degradation into monosaccharides, and this might be the speed-limiting step of cellulose utilization in M. importuna. In addition, M. importuna had a strong ability to decompose various hemicellulose glycosidic bonds, especially α- and β-galactosidase. Only a very few lignin-degradation-related proteins were detected, and these were in low abundance, consistent with the presence of weak lignin degradation ability. Furthermore, the presence of lipase and chitinase implied that M. importuna was capable of decomposition of its own mycelia in vitro. The study provides key data that facilitates a further understanding of the complex nutritional metabolism of M. importuna.

Production of Lignocellulolytic Enzymes and Biomass of Trametes versicolor from Agro-Industrial Residues in a Novel Fixed-Bed Bioreactor with Natural Convection and Forced Aeration at Pilot Scale

Solid-state fermentation requires the development of more efficient cultivation systems for its industrial application. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of aeration regime on the production of biomass and several lignocellulolytic enzymes (laccase, manganese peroxidase, endoxylanase, β-glucosidase, and total cellulases) by Trametes versicolor in a novel fixed-bed solid-state pilot-scale bioreactor. Three regimes were assessed: natural convection, low aeration level (10 min every 6 h at 10 L/h air flowrate), and high aeration level (1 h every 6 h at 10 L/h air flowrate). The mushroom was grown on a medium based on lignocellulosic residues. The design of the bioreactor, as well as the control of aeration, humidity, and temperature of the beds, allowed T. versicolor to grow properly on the medium, reaching a maximum biomass production of 204.7 mg/g dry solid (ds). The influence that aeration regime had on the production of lignocellulolytic enzymes was determined. Low level of forced aeration favored obtaining the highest titers of laccase (6.37 U/g ds) compared to natural convection and high aeration level. The greatest lignin degradation was also verified for low aeration regime. For the first time, pilot scale cultivation of T. versicolor was reported in a fixed-bed bioreactor.

Molecular engineering to improve lignocellulosic biomass based applications using filamentous fungi

Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant and renewable resource, and its utilization has become the focus of research and biotechnology applications as a very promising raw material for the production of value-added compounds. Filamentous fungi play an important role in the production of various lignocellulolytic enzymes, while some of them have also been used for the production of important metabolites. However, wild type strains have limited efficiency in enzyme production or metabolic conversion, and therefore many efforts have been made to engineer improved strains. Examples of this are the manipulation of transcriptional regulators and/or promoters of enzyme-encoding genes to increase gene expression, and protein engineering to improve the biochemical characteristics of specific enzymes. This review provides and overview of the applications of filamentous fungi in lignocellulosic biomass based processes and the development and current status of various molecular engineering strategies to improve these processes.

Biotransformation of lignocellulosic biomass into industrially relevant products with the aid of fungi-derived lignocellulolytic enzymes

Lignocellulosic material has drawn significant attention among the scientific community due to its year-round availability as a renewable resource for industrial consumption. Being an economic substrate alternative, various industries are reevaluating processes to incorporate derived compounds from these materials. Varieties of fungi and bacteria have the ability to depolymerize lignocellulosic biomass by synthesizing degrading enzymes. Owing to catalytic activity stability and high yields of conversion, lignocellulolytic enzymes derived from fungi currently have a high spectrum of industrial applications. Moreover, these materials are cost effective, eco-friendly and nontoxic while having a low energy input. Techno-economic analysis for current enzyme production technologies indicates that synthetic production is not commercially viable. Instead, the economic projection of the use of naturally-produced ligninolytic enzymes is promising. This approach may improve the economic feasibility of the process by lowering substrate expenses and increasing lignocellulosic by-product's added value. The present review will discuss the classification and enzymatic degradation pathways of lignocellulolytic biomass as well as the potential and current industrial applications of the involved fungal enzymes.

State of the art of straw treatment technology: Challenges and solutions forward

Straw as an agricultural byproduct has been recognized as a potential resource. However, open-field straw burning is still the main mean in many regions of the world, which causes the wasting of resource and air pollution. Recently, many technologies have been developed for energy and resource recovery from straw, of which the biological approach has attracted growing interests because of its economically viable and eco-friendly nature. However, pretreatment of straw prior to biological processes is essential, and largely determines the process feasibility, economic viability and environmental sustainability. Thus, this review attempts to offer a critical and holistic analysis of current straw pretreatment technologies and management practices. Specifically, an integrated biological processes coupled with microbial degradation and enzymatic hydrolysis was proposed, and its potential benefits, limitations and challenges associated with future large-scale straw treatment were also elaborated, together with the perspectives and directions forward.

Pretreatment of Grape Stalks by Fungi: Effect on Bioactive Compounds, Fiber Composition, Saccharification Kinetics and Monosaccharides Ratio

Grape stalks, an inedible lignocellulosic residue from winemaking and agro-industrial grape juice production, can be valorized as a source of bioactive compounds and as feedstock for the saccharification and bioconversion of soluble sugars. Solid-state fermentation (SSF) by six white-rot fungi was applied as pretreatment. Fiber composition, free radical scavenging activity, four ligninolytic, and three hydrolytic enzyme activities were determined. Saccharification kinetics, yield, and productivity were evaluated and complemented with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantification of monosaccharides, and principal component analysis (PCA). After SSF, the biomass exhibited a drastic free radical scavenging activity decrease and the main enzymes produced were manganese-dependent peroxidase and xylanase. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the erosion of cell walls, and PCA exhibited a negative correlation between saccharification, and neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent lignin. Phlebia rufa pretreated biomass gave the highest sugars yield and productivity, representing a nearly three-fold increase compared to untreated samples. Also, monosaccharides quantification revealed that the 1:1 ratio of glucose to the sum of xylose plus galactose changes to the value of 2:1 after pretreatment. In this work, and for the first time, P. rufa proved to be an effective pretreatment of grape stalks for the saccharification and further bioconversion into value-added chemicals. In addition, lignocellulolytic enzymes were also produced through SSF.

Biochemical characterization of a key laccase-like multicopper oxidase of artificially cultivable Morchella importuna provides insights into plant-litter decomposition

The aim of this study is to determine the key laccase-encoding gene in the life cycle of Morchella importuna SCYDJ1-A1, and to characterize the biochemical properties of the laccase. Two laccase-like multicopper oxidase (LMCO) genes were identified in the genome of M. importuna SCYDJ1-A1 as putative laccase-encoding genes. The two genes, belonging to Auxiliary Activity family 1 subfamily 3, were named as MiLacA and MiLacB. Phylogenetic analysis of deduced amino acid sequences showed that MiLacA is closest to a LMCO of M. importuna 22J1, while MiLacB had low similarity with known Morchella LMCOs. Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that MiLacA was expressed at much higher levels than MiLacB throughout the entire course of artificial cultivation. MiLacA was overexpressed in Pichia pastoris as a recombinant protein. Biochemical characterization of the purified enzyme showed that MiLacA simultaneously possessed laccase and polyphenol-oxidase activities. MiLacA could be strongly inhibited by Fe²⁺, which is unusual. The optimum pH was four and optimum temperature was 60 °C. The enzyme retained over 74% of the laccase activity after 16-h incubation at 60 °C, which means that its thermostability is at the forefront among the currently known laccases. Our findings may help to elucidate how the laccase of M. importuna is involved in decaying lignin in plant litter, and could also provide a candidate thermostable laccase for potential industrial application.

Synergistic effects of surfactant-assisted biodegradation of wheat straw and production of polysaccharides by Inonotus obliquus under submerged fermentation

Current work proposes an innovative wheat straw biomass utilization strategy that connects efficient lignocellulose biodegradation with exo-polysaccharide (EPS) production in I. obliquus under submerged fermentation. The addition of Tween 80 increased the activities of ligninolytic enzymes MnP, LiP and Lac by 1200%, 125% and 39.9%, respectively. When wheat straw lignin recalcitrance was substantially reduced with the aid of Tween 80, I. obliquus was capable of utilizing the substrates and in turn accumulated EPS. The degradation of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin reached 46.1%, 46.4% and 44.1% on Day 9 of growth, respectively. Meanwhile, the maximum mycelial biomass and EPS production increased by 23.3% and 142.9%, respectively. The EPS had higher contents of sugar, protein, uronic acid, and mannose ratio, and higher antioxidant activity against 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS^•+) and hydroxyl radicals.

Pre-treatment of Oil Palm Biomass for Fermentable Sugars Production

Malaysia is the second largest palm oil producer in the world and this industry generates more than 80 million tonnes of biomass every year. When considering the potential of this biomass to be used as a fermentation feedstock, many studies have been conducted to develop a complete process for sugar production. One of the essential processes is the pre-treatment to modify the lignocellulosic components by altering the structural arrangement and/or removing lignin component to expose the internal structure of cellulose and hemicellulose for cellulases to digest it into sugars. Each of the pre-treatment processes that were developed has their own advantages and disadvantages, which are reviewed in this study.

Solid state bioconversion of lignocellulosic residues by Inonotus obliquus for production of cellulolytic enzymes and saccharification

White rot fungi have been usually considered for lignin degradation and ligninolytic enzyme production. To understand whether the white rot fungus Inonotus obliquus was able to produce highly efficient cellulase system, the production of cellulolytic enzyme cocktails was optimized under solid state fermentation. The activities of CMCase, FPase, and β-glucosidase reached their maximum of 27.15IU/g, 3.16IU/g and 2.53IU/g using wheat bran at 40% (v/w) inoculum level, initial pH of 6.0 and substrate-moisture ratio of 1:2.5, respectively. The enzyme cocktail exhibited promising properties in terms of high catalytic activity at 40-60°C and at pH 3.0-4.5, indicating that the cellulolytic enzymes represent thermophilic and acidophilic characteristics. Saccharification of raw wheat straw and rice straw by the cellulolytic enzyme cocktail sampled on Day 12 resulted in the release of reducing sugar of 130.24mg/g and 125.36mg/g of substrate after 48h of hydrolysis, respectively.

Potential use of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) stover treated with white-rot fungi as rabbit feed

BACKGROUND

Lignin inhibitory effects within the cell wall structure constitute a serious drawback in maximizing the utilization of fibrous feedstuffs in animal feeding. Therefore treatments that promote efficient delignification of these materials must be applied. This study evaluated the potential of white-rot fungi to upgrade the nutritive value of cowpea stover for rabbit feeding.

RESULTS

There was an increase in the crude protein content of all substrates as a result of fungi treatments, reaching a net gain of 13% for Pleurotus citrinopileatus incubation. Overall, net losses of dry and organic matter occurred during fungi treatments. Although the fiber content remained identical, higher consumption of cell wall contents was measured for P. citrinopileatus incubation (between 40 and 45%). The incubation period did not influence lignin degradation for any of the fungi treatments. Differences within the fungal degradation mechanisms indicate that P. citrinopileatus treatment was most effective, enhancing in vitro organic matter digestibility by around 30% compared with the control.

CONCLUSION

Treatment of cowpea stover with P. citrinopileatus led to an efficient delignification process which resulted in higher in vitro organic matter digestibility, showing its potential in the nutritional valorization of this feedstuff. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Lignocellulose degradation patterns, structural changes, and enzyme secretion by Inonotus obliquus on straw biomass under submerged fermentation

This study examined the white rot fungus I. obliquus on the degradation of three types of straw biomass and the production of extracellular lignocellulolytic enzymes under submerged fermentation. The fungus process resulted in a highest lignin loss of 72%, 39%, and 47% in wheat straw, rice straw, and corn stover within 12days, respectively. In merely two days, the fungus selectively degraded wheat straw lignin by 37%, with only limited cellulose degradation (13%). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that the fungus most effectively degraded the wheat straw lignin and rice straw crystalline cellulose. Scanning electronic microscopy showed the most pronounced structural changes in wheat straw. High activities of manganese peroxidase (159.0U/mL) and lignin peroxidase (123.4U/mL) were observed in wheat straw culture on Day 2 and 4, respectively. Rice straw was the best substrate to induce the production of cellulase and xylanase.

Green methods of lignocellulose pretreatment for biorefinery development

Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant, low-cost, bio-renewable resource that holds enormous importance as alternative source for production of biofuels and other biochemicals that can be utilized as building blocks for production of new materials. Enzymatic hydrolysis is an essential step involved in the bioconversion of lignocellulose to produce fermentable monosaccharides. However, to allow the enzymatic hydrolysis, a pretreatment step is needed in order to remove the lignin barrier and break down the crystalline structure of cellulose. The present manuscript is dedicated to reviewing the most commonly applied "green" pretreatment processes used in bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomasses within the "biorefinery" concept. In this frame, the effects of different pretreatment methods on lignocellulosic biomass are described along with an in-depth discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of each method, including generation of potentially inhibitory compounds for enzymatic hydrolysis, effect on cellulose digestibility, and generation of compounds toxic for the environment, and energy and economic demand.

Characterization of three plant biomass-degrading microbial consortia by metagenomics- and metasecretomics-based approaches

The selection of microbes by enrichment on plant biomass has been proposed as an efficient way to develop new strategies for lignocellulose saccharification. Here, we report an in-depth analysis of soil-derived microbial consortia that were trained to degrade once-used wheat straw (WS1-M), switchgrass (SG-M) and corn stover (CS-M) under aerobic and mesophilic conditions. Molecular fingerprintings, bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene amplicon sequencing and metagenomic analyses showed that the three microbial consortia were taxonomically distinct. Based on the taxonomic affiliation of protein-encoding sequences, members of the Bacteroidetes (e.g. Chryseobacterium, Weeksella, Flavobacterium and Sphingobacterium) were preferentially selected on WS1-M, whereas SG-M and CS-M favoured members of the Proteobacteria (e.g. Caulobacter, Brevundimonas, Stenotrophomonas and Xanthomonas). The highest degradation rates of lignin (~59 %) were observed with SG-M, whereas CS-M showed a high consumption of cellulose and hemicellulose. Analyses of the carbohydrate-active enzymes in the three microbial consortia showed the dominance of glycosyl hydrolases (e.g. of families GH3, GH43, GH13, GH10, GH29, GH28, GH16, GH4 and GH92). In addition, proteins of families AA6, AA10 and AA2 were detected. Analysis of secreted protein fractions (metasecretome) for each selected microbial consortium mainly showed the presence of enzymes able to degrade arabinan, arabinoxylan, xylan, β-glucan, galactomannan and rhamnogalacturonan. Notably, these metasecretomes contain enzymes that enable us to produce oligosaccharides directly from wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse and willow. Thus, the underlying microbial consortia constitute valuable resources for the production of enzyme cocktails for the efficient saccharification of plant biomass.

Microbial Consortium with High Cellulolytic Activity (MCHCA) for Enhanced Biogas Production

The use of lignocellulosic biomass as a substrate in agricultural biogas plants is very popular and yields good results. However, the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, and thus biogas production, is not always satisfactory due to the slow or incomplete degradation (hydrolysis) of plant matter. To enhance the solubilization of the lignocellulosic biomass various physical, chemical and biological pretreatment methods are used. The aim of this study was to select and characterize cellulose-degrading bacteria, and to construct a microbial consortium, dedicated for degradation of maize silage and enhancing biogas production from this substrate. Over 100 strains of cellulose-degrading bacteria were isolated from: sewage sludge, hydrolyzer from an agricultural biogas plant, cattle slurry and manure. After physiological characterization of the isolates, 16 strains (representatives of Bacillus, Providencia, and Ochrobactrum genera) were chosen for the construction of a Microbial Consortium with High Cellulolytic Activity, called MCHCA. The selected strains had a high endoglucanase activity (exceeding 0.21 IU/mL CMCase activity) and a wide range of tolerance to various physical and chemical conditions. Lab-scale simulation of biogas production using the selected strains for degradation of maize silage was carried out in a two-bioreactor system, similar to those used in agricultural biogas plants. The obtained results showed that the constructed MCHCA consortium is capable of efficient hydrolysis of maize silage, and increases biogas production by even 38%, depending on the inoculum used for methane fermentation. The results in this work indicate that the mesophilic MCHCA has a great potential for application on industrial scale in agricultural biogas plants.

Comparison of submerged and solid state pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse by Pandoraea sp. ISTKB: Enzymatic and structural analysis

Pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse by Pandoraea sp. ISTKB was evaluated under submerged (SmF) and solid state (SSF) culture conditions. Number of bacteria was 2.7 times higher in SmF as compared with SSF. Enzymes produced under SmF were xylanase, LiP, MnP and laccase. In SSF xylanase and laccase were detected. CMCase, FPase and β-glucosidase were not detected. Delignification was highest in SmF with 19.94% and 10.43% removal of hemicelluloses and lignin, respectively. FTIR analysis suggested the degradation of lignin/hemicellulose component. SEM analysis showed pores were three times bigger in SmF as compared with raw bagasse. Maximum CR dye was absorbed by treated SmF bagasse. Enzymatic saccharification increased by 3.7 times after SmF treatment in comparison to raw bagasse. Pretreatment of bagasse by Pandoraea sp. ISTKB was more efficient under SmF than SSF. High negative correlation between saccharification vs lignin/hemicelluloses content justified the need for pretreatment of lignocellulosic waste before saccharification.

Earthworms modify microbial community structure and accelerate maize stover decomposition during vermicomposting

In the present study, maize stover was vermicomposted with the epigeic earthworm Eisenia fetida. The results showed that, during vermicomposting process, the earthworms promoted decomposition of maize stover. Analysis of microbial communities of the vermicompost by high-throughput pyrosequencing showed more complex bacterial community structure in the substrate treated by the earthworms than that in the control group. The dominant microbial genera in the treatment with the earthworms were Pseudoxanthomonas, Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Streptomyces, Cryptococcus, Guehomyces, and Mucor. Compared to the control group, the relative abundance of lignocellulose degradation microorganisms increased. The results indicated that the earthworms modified the structure of microbial communities during vermicomposting process, activated the growth of lignocellulose degradation microorganisms, and triggered the lignocellulose decomposition.

An overview of key pretreatment processes for biological conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol

Second-generation bioethanol can be produced from various lignocellulosic biomasses such as wood, agricultural or forest residues. Lignocellulosic biomass is inexpensive, renewable and abundant source for bioethanol production. The conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol could be a promising technology though the process has several challenges and limitations such as biomass transport and handling, and efficient pretreatment methods for total delignification of lignocellulosics. Proper pretreatment methods can increase concentrations of fermentable sugars after enzymatic saccharification, thereby improving the efficiency of the whole process. Conversion of glucose as well as xylose to bioethanol needs some new fermentation technologies to make the whole process inexpensive. The main goal of pretreatment is to increase the digestibility of maximum available sugars. Each pretreatment process has a specific effect on the cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin fraction; thus, different pretreatment methods and conditions should be chosen according to the process configuration selected for the subsequent hydrolysis and fermentation steps. The cost of ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass in current technologies is relatively high. Additionally, low yield still remains as one of the main challenges. This paper reviews the various technologies for maximum conversion of cellulose and hemicelluloses fraction to ethanol, and it point outs several key properties that should be targeted for low cost and maximum yield.

Effect of enzymatic pretreatment of various lignocellulosic substrates on production of phenolic compounds and biomethane potential

Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass is necessary to enhance the hydrolysis, which is the rate-limiting step in biogas production. Laccase and versatile peroxidase are enzymes known to degrade lignin. Therefore, the impact of enzymatic pretreatment was studied on a variety of biomass. A significant higher release in total phenolic compounds (TPC) was observed, never reaching the inhibiting values for anaerobic digestion. The initial concentration of TPC was higher in the substrates containing more lignin, miscanthus and willow. The anaerobic digestion of these two substrates resulted in a significant lower biomethane production (68.8-141.7 Nl/kg VS). Other substrates, corn stover, flax, wheat straw and hemp reached higher biomethane potential values (BMP), between 241 and 288 Nl/kg VS. Ensilaged maize reached 449 Nl/kg VS, due to the ensilation process, which can be seen as a biological and acid pretreatment. A significant relation (R(2) = 0.89) was found between lignin content and BMP.

Holocellulose Nanofibers of High Molar Mass and Small Diameter for High-Strength Nanopaper

Wood cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) based on bleached pulp are different from the cellulose microfibrils in the plant cell wall in terms of larger diameter, lower cellulose molar mass, and modified cellulose topochemistry. Also, CNF isolation often requires high-energy mechanical disintegration. Here, a new type of CNFs is reported based on a mild peracetic acid delignification process for spruce and aspen fibers, followed by low-energy mechanical disintegration. Resulting CNFs are characterized with respect to geometry (AFM, TEM), molar mass (SEC), and polysaccharide composition. Cellulose nanopaper films are prepared by filtration and characterized by UV-vis spectrometry for optical transparency and uniaxial tensile tests. These CNFs are unique in terms of high molar mass and cellulose-hemicellulose core-shell structure. Furthermore, the corresponding nanopaper structures exhibit exceptionally high optical transparency and the highest mechanical properties reported for comparable CNF nanopaper structures.

Effects of lignin modification on wheat straw cell wall deconstruction by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

BACKGROUND

A key focus in sustainable biofuel research is to develop cost-effective and energy-saving approaches to increase saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass. Numerous efforts have been made to identify critical issues in cellulose hydrolysis. Aerobic fungal species are an integral part of the carbon cycle, equip the hydrolytic enzyme consortium, and provide a gateway for understanding the systematic degradation of lignin, hemicelluloses, and cellulose. This study attempts to reveal the complex biological degradation process of lignocellulosic biomass by Phanerochaete chrysosporium in order to provide new knowledge for the development of energy-efficient biorefineries.

RESULTS

In this study, we evaluated the performance of a fungal biodegradation model, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, in wheat straw through comprehensive analysis. We isolated milled straw lignin and cellulase enzyme-treated lignin from fungal-spent wheat straw to determine structural integrity and cellulase absorption isotherms. The results indicated that P. chrysosporium increased the total lignin content in residual biomass and also increased the cellulase adsorption kinetics in the resulting lignin. The binding strength increased from 117.4 mL/g to 208.7 mL/g in milled wood lignin and from 65.3 mL/g to 102.4 mL/g in cellulase enzyme lignin. A detailed structural dissection showed a reduction in the syringyl lignin/guaiacyl lignin ratio and the hydroxycinnamate/lignin ratio as predominant changes in fungi-spent lignin by heteronuclear single quantum coherence spectroscopy.

CONCLUSION

P. chrysosporium shows a preference for degradation of phenolic terminals without significantly destroying other lignin components to unzip carbohydrate polymers. This is an important step in fungal growth on wheat straw. The phenolics presumably locate at the terminal region of the lignin moiety and/or link with hemicellulose to form the lignin-carbohydrate complex. Findings may inform the development of a biomass hydrolytic enzyme combination to enhance lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysis and modify the targets in plant cell walls.

An overview of key pretreatment processes employed for bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels and value added products

The hunt for alternative sources of energy generation that are inexpensive, ecofriendly, renewable and can replace fossil fuels is on, owing to the increasing demands of energy. One approach in this direction is the conversion of plant residues into biofuels wherein lignocellulose, which forms the structural framework of plants consisting of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, is first broken down and hydrolyzed into simple fermentable sugars, which upon fermentation form biofuels such as ethanol. A major bottleneck is to disarray lignin which is present as a protective covering and makes cellulose and hemicellulose recalcitrant to enzymatic hydrolysis. A number of biomass deconstruction or pretreatment processes (physical, chemical and biological) have been used to break the structural framework of plants and depolymerize lignin. This review surveys and discusses some major pretreatment processes pertaining to the pretreatment of plant biomass, which are used for the production of biofuels and other value added products. The emphasis is given on processes that provide maximum amount of sugars, which are subsequently used for the production of biofuels.

Differential proteomic analysis of the secretome of Irpex lacteus and other white-rot fungi during wheat straw pretreatment

BACKGROUND

Identifying new high-performance enzymes or enzyme complexes to enhance biomass degradation is the key for the development of cost-effective processes for ethanol production. Irpex lacteus is an efficient microorganism for wheat straw pretreatment, yielding easily hydrolysable products with high sugar content. Thus, this fungus was selected to investigate the enzymatic system involved in lignocellulose decay, and its secretome was compared to those from Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Pleurotus ostreatus which produced different degradation patterns when growing on wheat straw. Extracellular enzymes were analyzed through 2D-PAGE, nanoLC/MS-MS, and homology searches against public databases.

RESULTS

In wheat straw, I. lacteus secreted proteases, dye-decolorizing and manganese-oxidizing peroxidases, and H2O2 producing-enzymes but also a battery of cellulases and xylanases, excluding those implicated in cellulose and hemicellulose degradation to their monosaccharides, making these sugars poorly available for fungal consumption. In contrast, a significant increase of β-glucosidase production was observed when I. lacteus grew in liquid cultures. P. chrysosporium secreted more enzymes implicated in the total hydrolysis of the polysaccharides and P. ostreatus produced, in proportion, more oxidoreductases.

CONCLUSION

The protein pattern secreted during I. lacteus growth in wheat straw plus the differences observed among the different secretomes, justify the fitness of I. lacteus for biopretreatment processes in 2G-ethanol production. Furthermore, all these data give insight into the biological degradation of lignocellulose and suggest new enzyme mixtures interesting for its efficient hydrolysis.

Characterization of a novel dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP)-type enzyme from Irpex lacteus and its application in enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat straw

Irpex lacteus is a white rot basidiomycete proposed for a wide spectrum of biotechnological applications which presents an interesting, but still scarcely known, enzymatic oxidative system. Among these enzymes, the production, purification, and identification of a new dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP)-type enzyme, as well as its physico-chemical, spectroscopic, and catalytic properties, are described in the current work. According to its N-terminal sequence and peptide mass fingerprinting analyses, I. lacteus DyP showed high homology (>95%) with the hypothetical (not isolated or characterized) protein cpop21 from an unidentified species of the family Polyporaceae. The enzyme had a low optimal pH, was very stable to acid pH and temperature, and showed improved activity and stability at high H2O2 concentrations compared to other peroxidases. Other attractive features of I. lacteus DyP were its high catalytic efficiency oxidizing the recalcitrant anthraquinone and azo dyes assayed (kcat/Km of 1.6 × 10(6) s(-1) M(-1)) and its ability to oxidize nonphenolic aromatic compounds like veratryl alcohol. In addition, the effect of this DyP during the enzymatic hydrolysis of wheat straw was checked. The results suggest that I. lacteus DyP displayed a synergistic action with cellulases during the hydrolysis of wheat straw, increasing significantly the fermentable glucose recoveries from this substrate. These data show a promising biotechnological potential for this enzyme.

The promoting effects of manganese on biological pretreatment with Irpex lacteus and enzymatic hydrolysis of corn stover

The effect of metal ions on biological pretreatment was evaluated for improving subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis. Results showed that the efficiency of fungal pretreatment was greatly improved with manganese supplement in biomass. After enzymatic hydrolysis of 28-d pretreated corn stover, maximum glucose yield was 308.98 mg/g corn stover with manganese supplement, which increased by 61.39% as compared to the conventional fungal pretreatment. Furthermore, manganese also enhanced the production of ethanol, corresponding to a high ethanol conversion (83.39%). Manganese greatly improved the delignification of Irpex lacteus specially. Correspondingly, the efficiency of saccharification and fermentation was closely related to the removal of lignin. This study showed a promising effect of manganese on fungal pretreatment and the production of biofuels.

Biological delignification of paddy straw and Parthenium sp. using a novel micromycete Myrothecium roridum LG7 for enhanced saccharification

A new lignolytic micromycete fungus Myrothecium roridum LG7 was isolated and selected for biological delignification of agro residue-paddy straw and herbaceous weed Parthenium sp. Physical and chemical modifications in the biomass following pretreatment with M. roridum LG7 for 7 days in term of structural modification and lignin removal, changes in lignin skeleton, and alteration of cellulose crystallinity was observed through SEM-EDXA, FTIR and XRD analysis, respectively. Colonization of the fungus led to high amount of lignin removal (5.8-6.98mg/gds) from pretreated biomass which could be recovered as a value added product. Enzymatic hydrolysis of M. roridum LG7 pretreated biomass released significantly higher amount of reducing sugars (455.81-509.65 mg/gds) as compared to respective raw biomass within 24h. This study illustrates the promise of M. roridum LG7 for biological pretreatment through structural and chemical alteration of biomass beside creation of alkaline environment which prevent the growth of other contaminants.

Sugar recoveries from wheat straw following treatments with the fungus Irpex lacteus

Irpex lacteus is a white-rot fungus capable of increasing sugar recovery from wheat straw; however, in order to incorporate biopretreatment in bioethanol production, some process specifications need to be optimized. With this objective, I. lacteus was grown on different liquid culture media for use as inoculums. Additionally, the effect of wheat straw particle size, moisture content, organic and inorganic supplementations, and mild alkali washing during solid-state fermentation (SSF) on sugar yield were investigated. Wheat thin stillage was the best medium for producing inoculums. Supplementation of wheat straw with 0.3mM Mn(II) during SSF resulted in glucose yields of 68% as compared to yields of 62% and 33% for cultures grown without supplementation or on untreated raw material, respectively after 21 days. Lignin loss, wheat straw digestibility, peroxidase activity, and fungal biomass were also correlated with sugar yields in the search for biopretreatment efficiency indicators.

Effects of laccase on lignin depolymerization and enzymatic hydrolysis of ensiled corn stover

The aim of this study was to explore the synergies of laccase, a ligninolytic enzyme, with cellulose and hemicellulase amendments on ensiled corn stover. Molecular signals of lignin decomposition were observed by tetramethylammonium hydroxide thermochemolysis and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (TMAH-GC-MS) analysis. The significant findings suggest that ensilage might provide a platform for biological pretreatment. By partially hydrolyzing cellulose and hemicellulose into soluble sugars, ensilage facilitates laccase penetration into the lignocellulose complex to enhance lignin degradation. Downstream cellulose hydrolysis was improved 7% with increasing laccase loading rate. These results demonstrate the potential of enzymes, either directly amended or expressed by microbes during ensilage, to maximize utilization of corn stover for cellulosic biofuels and other downstream fermentations.