Extracellular oxidative systems of the lignin-degrading Basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The US Department of Energy has assembled a high quality draft genome of Phanerochaete chrysosporium, a white rot Basidiomycete capable of completely degrading all major components of plant cell walls including cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. Hundreds of sequences are predicted to encode extracellular enzymes including an impressive number of oxidative enzymes potentially involved in lignocellulose degradation. Herein, we summarize the number, organization, and expression of genes encoding peroxidases, copper radical oxidases, FAD-dependent oxidases, and multicopper oxidases. Possibly relevant to extracellular oxidative systems are genes involved in posttranslational processes and a large number of hypothetical proteins.