<Original>The C_α-C_β Bond Cleavage of the Secondary Metabolite Veratryglycerol Catalized by A New Modified "Ligninase" Preparation from Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Abstract

The various culture conditions for production of lignin peroxidase were examined by use of the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium grown for 4 days in the cultures with high carbon and low nitrogen (HC/LN)-, low carbon and high nitrogen (LC/HN)-, or low carbon and medial nitrogen (LC/MN)-media. Among them, LC/MN-culture with 0.1% Tween 80 produced the greatest amount of ligninase activity (356 units/l). A secondary metabolite veratrylglycerol occurring in the extra-cellular culture fluid underwent Cα-Cβ bond cleavage in the presence of ligninase and hydrogen peroxide, yielding veratraldehyde and glycolaldehyde. The oxidation rates of a threo- and a mixture of threo- and erythro-forms of veratrylglycerol synthesized were about 60% of that of veratryl alcohol. A possible relevance of this cleavage reaction to the Cα-Cβ bond cleavage of arylglycerol-β-aryl ether substructures of lignin polymer was discussed.