15 Fungi Involved in the Biodeterioration and Bioconversion of Lignocellulose Substrates

Abstract

Basidiomycota species that cause “brown rot” or “white rot” of wood are the primary organisms involved in depolymerization of the two most abundant polymeric materials on earth: cellulose and lignin. Ascomycota species are also involved in the deconstruction of wood, and although less ubiquitous compared to the Basidiomycota decays, these Ascomycota species cause a “soft rot” decay of wood that is important in some environments. Wood decay fungi are important from the standpoint of cycling and sequestration of recalcitrant lignocellulose carbon, and from an economic standpoint, they also cause significant destruction of the built environment. This chapter will review these decay fungi but also will overview Ascomycota molds and staining (stain) fungi that live on the surface or attack parenchyma of harvested wood and that typically do not cause decay or structural deterioration of timber. Over the last 70 years, several genera and species of fungi discussed in this chapter, and the extracellular enzymes and metabolic systems from these fungi, have been examined for potential applications in industrial processing, particularly in biorefinery applications.