Monday, May 5, 2008
8-11

The Effect of Lignin Removal by Alkaline Peroxide Pretreatment on the Susceptibility of Lignocellulosic Biomass to Individual Cellulolytic and Hemicellulolytic Enzymes

Michael J. Selig, Stephen R. Decker, and Michael E. Himmel. Chemical and Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Blvd., Golden, CO 80401

Increased demand worldwide for alternative biomass derived fuels to reduce nations’ dependence on the currently volatile petroleum market has created a renewed interest in studies of plant cell wall structure and deconstruction.  Traditionally, the lignin and xylan components of the cell-wall matrix are thought to be key targets for removal in order to improve the accessibility of the cellulosic fraction to whole fungal cellulase systems.  These enzymatic systems often contain a number of cellulolytic, xylanolytic and other hemicellulolytic enzyme activities working in concert, making it difficult to determine how the removal of a particular cell-wall fraction improves the saccharification of the residual structural carbohydrates.  In this study, we have utilized a suite of purified cell wall hydrolyzing enzymes in order to investigate the role that lignin removal plays in improving the accessibility of the cell wall microfibrils.  Using individual as well as combinations of specific enzyme activities, we examined the effect that lignin removal by alkaline peroxide treatment has on the ability of individual cellulases and hemicellulases to hydrolyze their respective substrates.  Using this approach, we were able to identify which types of activities are most affected by the removal of lignin.  We propose that this simplified strategy will permit us to understand how specific enzyme components in traditional fungal cellulase preparations function to deconstruct plant cell walls.

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