Extracellular Peroxidases Involved in Lignin Degradation by the White Rot Basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The white rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium secretes two soluble H2O2-requiring peroxidases which are involved in lignin degradation. Both lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) form the oxidized intermediates compound I and compound II. LiP catalyzes the one-electron oxidation of a variety of substrates to generate aryl cation radicals. These radicals undergo subsequent nonenzymic reactions to yield a multiplicity of final products. MnP oxidizes MnII to MnIII which acts as a unique redox couple, and in turn oxidizes phenolic substrates to phenoxy radicals, which undergo subsequent reactions to yield the final products.