Brown Rot-Type Fungal Decomposition of Sorghum Bagasse: Variable Success and Mechanistic Implications

International Journal of Microbiology
Gerald N PresleyJonathan S Schilling

Abstract

Sweet sorghum is a promising crop for a warming, drying African climate, and basic information is lacking on conversion pathways for its lignocellulosic residues (bagasse). Brown rot wood-decomposer fungi use carbohydrate-selective pathways that, when assessed on sorghum, a grass substrate, can yield information relevant to both plant biomass conversion and fungal biology. In testing sorghum decomposition by brown rot fungi (Gloeophyllum trabeum, Serpula lacrymans), we found that G. trabeum readily degraded sorghum, removing xylan prior to removing glucan. Serpula lacrymans, conversely, caused little decomposition. Ergosterol (fungal biomarker) and protein levels were similar for both fungi, but S. lacrymans produced nearly 4x lower polysaccharide-degrading enzyme specific activity on sorghum than G. trabeum, perhaps a symptom of starvation. Linking this information to genome comparisons including other brown rot fungi known to have a similar issue regarding decomposing grasses (Postia placenta, Fomitopsis pinicola) suggested that a lack of CE 1 feruloyl esterases as well as low xylanase activity in S. lacrymans (3x lower than in G. trabeum) may hinder S. lacrymans, P. placenta, and F. pinicola when degrading grass substrates. ...Continue Reading

References

Apr 25, 2008·Current Opinion in Plant Biology·John Vogel
May 23, 2012·Bioresource Technology·Jonathan S SchillingUlrike W Tschirner
Aug 7, 2013·Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology·Justin T Kaffenberger, Jonathan S Schilling
Jun 25, 2014·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Robert RileyIgor V Grigoriev
Mar 18, 2015·FEMS Microbiology Ecology·Magnus EllströmAnders Tunlid
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Sep 14, 2016·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Jiwei ZhangJonathan S Schilling
Jan 29, 2017·Applied and Environmental Microbiology·Gerald N Presley, Jonathan S Schilling
Jul 2, 2017·Fungal Genetics and Biology : FG & B·Jiwei Zhang, Jonathan S Schilling

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Citations

Jan 7, 2020·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Edward HermosillaMaría Cristina Diez

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Methods Mentioned

BETA
protein assay

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