Role of veratryl alcohol in lignin degradation by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Several aromatic compounds increased initial lignin degradation rates in cultures of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. This activation was connected to increased H₂O₂ production and glucose oxidation rates. Veratryl alcohol, a natural secondary metabolite of P. chrysosporium, also activated the lignin-degrading system. In the presence of added veratryl alcohol the ligninolytic system appeared 6–8 h earlier than in reference cultures. This effect was only seen when lignin was added after the primary growth was completed because lignin itself also caused earlier appearance of the degradative system. In cultures which received no added lignin or veratryl alcohol the ligninolytic activity only appeared once the alcohol started to accumulate. The degradation patterns of veratryl alcohol and lignin were similar. The activity levels of lignin degradation and glucose oxidation could be regulated by veratryl alcohol concentration. It is suggested that either veratryl alcohol itself or a metabolite derived from it is actually responsible for the low levels of ligninolytic activity in glucose grown cultures.