Enzymatic transformations of lignin: 2

The enzymology of lignin biodegradation remains largely obscure despite substantial efforts by a number of investigators to elucidate it. This review documents the highlights of existing knowledge in this complex area. The paper concludes with the suggestion, as a working hypothesis, that perhaps the enzymes responsible for lignin biodegradation do not interact with the polymer itself, but generate reactive diffusible species such as superoxide radical anion. In turn, these diffusible species attack the lignin and are largely responsible for the observed transformations.