title: Sugar catabolism in Aspergillus and other fungi related to the utilization of plant biomass.
abstract: Fungi are found in all natural and artificial biotopes and can use highly diverse carbon sources. They play a major role in the global carbon cycle by decomposing plant biomass and this biomass is the main carbon source for many fungi. Plant biomass is composed of cell wall polysaccharides (cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin) and lignin. To degrade cell wall polysaccharides to different monosaccharides, fungi produce a broad range of enzymes with a large variety in activities. Through a series of enzymatic reactions, sugar-specific and central metabolic pathways convert these monosaccharides into energy or metabolic precursors needed for the biosynthesis of biomolecules. This chapter describes the carbon catabolic pathways that are required to efficiently use plant biomass as a carbon source. It will give an overview of the known metabolic pathways in fungi, their interconnections, and the differences between fungal species.
authors.affiliation: Fungal Physiology, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Khosravi
authors.affiliation: Fungal Physiology, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tiziano
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Benocci
authors.affiliation: Fungal Physiology, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Evy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Battaglia
authors.affiliation: Fungal Physiology, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Benoit
authors.affiliation: Fungal Physiology, CBS-KNAW Fungal Biodiversity Centre & Fungal Molecular Physiology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ronald P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: de Vries
mesh_terms: D001230:Aspergillus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018533:Biomass; D005656:Fungal Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005658:Fungi / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D005656:Fungal Proteins; D011134:Polysaccharides
keywords: Aspergillus; Carbon catabolic enzymes; Central carbon metabolism; Plant polysaccharides utilization; Sugar catabolism