TY - JOUR AU - Weng, Caihong AU - Peng, Xiaowei AU - Han, Yejun PY - 2021 DA - 2021/04/03 TI - Depolymerization and conversion of lignin to value-added bioproducts by microbial and enzymatic catalysis JO - Biotechnology for Biofuels SP - 84 VL - 14 IS - 1 AB - Lignin, the most abundant renewable aromatic compound in nature, is an excellent feedstock for value-added bioproducts manufacturing; while the intrinsic heterogeneity and recalcitrance of which hindered the efficient lignin biorefinery and utilization. Compared with chemical processing, bioprocessing with microbial and enzymatic catalysis is a clean and efficient method for lignin depolymerization and conversion. Generally, lignin bioprocessing involves lignin decomposition to lignin-based aromatics via extracellular microbial enzymes and further converted to value-added bioproducts through microbial metabolism. In the review, the most recent advances in degradation and conversion of lignin to value-added bioproducts catalyzed by microbes and enzymes were summarized. The lignin-degrading microorganisms of white-rot fungi, brown-rot fungi, soft-rot fungi, and bacteria under aerobic and anaerobic conditions were comparatively analyzed. The catalytic metabolism of the microbial lignin-degrading enzymes of laccase, lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, biphenyl bond cleavage enzyme, versatile peroxidase, and β-etherize was discussed. The microbial metabolic process of H-lignin, G-lignin, S-lignin based derivatives, protocatechuic acid, and catechol was reviewed. Lignin was depolymerized to lignin-derived aromatic compounds by the secreted enzymes of fungi and bacteria, and the aromatics were converted to value-added compounds through microbial catalysis and metabolic engineering. The review also proposes new insights for future work to overcome the recalcitrance of lignin and convert it to value-added bioproducts by microbial and enzymatic catalysis. SN - 1754-6834 UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s13068-021-01934-w DO - 10.1186/s13068-021-01934-w ID - Weng2021 ER -