title: Engineering the ligninolytic enzyme consortium.
abstract: The ligninolytic enzyme consortium is one of the most-efficient oxidative systems found in nature, playing a pivotal role during wood decay and coal formation. Typically formed by high redox-potential oxidoreductases, this array of enzymes can be used within the emerging lignocellulose biorefineries in processes that range from the production of bioenergy to that of biomaterials. To ensure that these versatile enzymes meet industry standards and needs, they have been subjected to directed evolution and hybrid approaches that surpass the limits imposed by nature. This Opinion article analyzes recent achievements in this field, including the incipient groundbreaking research into the evolution of resurrected enzymes, and the engineering of ligninolytic secretomes to create consolidated bioprocessing microbes with synthetic biology applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biocatalysis, Institute of Catalysis, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), 28049 Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: malcalde@icp.csic.es.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alcalde
mesh_terms: D008031:Lignin / Q000378:metabolism*; D060847:Metabolic Engineering; D059013:Microbial Consortia / Q000235:genetics*; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C036909:lignocellulose; D008031:Lignin; D010088:Oxidoreductases
keywords: Saccharomyces cerevisiae; ancestral resurrection; directed evolution; lignin; ligninases; white-rot yeast