title: Degradation of a model pollutant ferulic acid by the endophytic fungus Phomopsis liquidambari.
abstract: Biodegradation of ferulic acid, by an endophytic fungus called Phomopsis liquidambari was investigated in this study. This strain can use ferulic acid as the sole carbon for growth. Both in mineral salt medium and in soil, more than 97% of added ferulic acid was degraded within 48 h. The metabolites were identified and quantified using GC-MS and HPLC-MS. Ferulic acid was first decarboxylated to 4-vinyl guaiacol and then oxidized to vanillin and vanillic acid, followed by demethylation to protocatechuic acid, which was further degraded through the β-ketoadipate pathway. During degradation, ferulic acid decarboxylase, laccase and protocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase activities and their gene transcription levels were significantly affected by the variation of substrate and product concentrations. Moreover, ferulic acid degradation was determined to some extent by P. liquidambari laccase. This study is the first report of an endophytic fungus that has a great potential for practical application in ferulic acid-contaminated environments.
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210023, China.
authors.forename: Xing-Guang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Microbes and Functional Genomics, Jiangsu Engineering and Technology Research Center for Industrialization of Microbial Resources, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210023, China. Electronic address: daichuanchao@njnu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chuan-Chao
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Dai
mesh_terms: D001203:Ascomycota / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental / Q000187:drug effects; D018533:Biomass; D003373:Coumaric Acids / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D042845:Laccase / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003373:Coumaric Acids; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012987:Soil; C004999:ferulic acid; D042845:Laccase
keywords: Degradation; Endophytic fungus; Ferulic acid; GC/HPLC–MS; qRT-PCR