Utility of lignin‐modifying enzymes: a green technology for organic compound mycodegradation

Abstract

AbstractOrganic compounds such as heavy metals, polychlorinated biphenyls, petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides and phenolic derivatives have become major environmental pollutants. These compounds are also known as xenobiotics as they are not produced or essentially utilized by any organism for its biological function. Xenobiotics are degraded by many microorganisms owing to the presence of enzymes that break down these complex compounds and utilize them as substrates. One group of enzymes commonly produced by microorganisms that have a major role in the degradation of xenobiotic organic compounds are lignin‐modifying enzymes, as the chemical structure of xenobiotic compounds resembles lignin. Lignin‐modifying enzymes are oxidative enzymes that have an important role in degrading abundant lignocellulosic wastes present in the environment. These enzymes include laccase, lignin peroxidase, manganese‐dependent peroxidase and versatile peroxidase, and are produced by bacteria and fungi, with white rot fungi being the major producer. They have a wide range of applications in detoxification of industrial and agricultural wastes and xenobiotic organic compounds. Mycodegradation or fungal degradation forms an important part of the ecosystem, as fungi can degrade many toxic substances because the fungal mycelia penetrate deep into substrates and help colonize the substrates rapidly. In this review, the problems associated with xenobiotic compounds are explained. Fungal lignin‐modifying enzymes, as a probable solution to xenobiotic degradation, have also been discussed in detail, along with their mechanism of action. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).