title: Polymerization of guaiacol by lignin-degrading manganese peroxidase from Bjerkandera adusta in aqueous organic solvents.
abstract: Lignin-degrading manganese (II) peroxidase (MnP) purified from the culture of a wood-rotting basidiomycete, Bjerkandera adusta, was used in the polymerization of guaiacol. MnP was found to catalyze polymerization of guaiacol in 50% aqueous acetone, dimethyl formamide, methanol, ethanol, dioxane, acetonitrile, ethylene glycol and methylcellosolve. Maximum yield of polyguaiacol was achieved in 50% aqueous acetone. The weight average molecular weight (Mw) of the polymer was estimated to be 30,300 by gel permeation chromatography. However, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF-MS) analysis gave a more reliable Mw of 1,690. IR, 13C-NMR, MALDI-TOF-MS and pyrolysis GC-MS analyses showed the presence of C-C and C-O linkages and quinone structure in polyguaiacol. It was also indicated that polyguaiacol has a methoxy-phenyl group as the terminal moiety. This suggests that polyguaiacol is a branched polymer in which guaiacol units are cross-linked at the phenolic group. Thermal gravimetric and differential scanning calorimetric analyses were also carried out. MnP also catalyzed the polymerization of o-cresol, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol and other phenolic compounds and aromatic amines. Mw of these polymers ranged from around 1,000 to 1,500.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biomass Conversion, Wood Research Institute, Kyoto University, Uji, Japan.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwahara
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Honda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuwahara
mesh_terms: D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000378:metabolism*; D006139:Guaiacol / Q000378:metabolism*; D008031:Lignin / Q000378:metabolism*; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D010544:Peroxidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D011108:Polymers; D012997:Solvents; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D009930:Organic Chemicals; D011108:Polymers; D012997:Solvents; D014867:Water; D006139:Guaiacol; D008031:Lignin; D010544:Peroxidases; C051129:manganese peroxidase