New insights into the ligninolytic capability of a wood decay ascomycete

Wood-grown cultures of Daldinia concentrica oxidized a permethylated beta-C-14-labeled synthetic lignin to (CO2)-C-14 and also cleaved a permethylated alpha-C-13-labeled synthetic lignin to give C-aleph-C-beta cleavage products that were detected by C-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Therefore, this ascomycete resembles white-rot basidiomycetes in attacking the recalcitrant nonphenolic structures that predominate in lignin.