weight in the engineered strain. Several bacteria like Arthrobacter sp. Rue61a,
Amycolatopsis sp. strain ATCC 39116, Novosphingobium sp. Strain MBES04,
Cupriavidus basilensisB-8, Halomonas sp. strain KO116, Klebsiella sp. strain
BRL6-2, Raoultella ornithinolytica strain S12 have shown to degrade the lignin
and its monomers and are validated by whole genome sequencing and followed by
identification of enzymes for lignin degradation and its bioconversion (Kameshwar
and Qin 2016; Kumar et al. 2016).
4.7
Conclusion
The addition of value to the lignin generated as waste from plant polysaccharidebased industry will define the success and sustainability of such industries. The
biological process is discussed for lignin depolymerization and degradation as it is
the most eco-friendly and cost-effective route for its valorization. The pathways for
the funneling of heterogeneous lignin derivatives and the enzymes assisting in the
lignin utilization were discussed that will further assist in engineering the strains for
the enhanced lignin degradation and its valorization. The value addition to lignin
will establish the biorefinery concept and also validate the model of circular
economy.
Acknowledgment We would like to express our sincere thanks to Department of Biotechnology,
Government of India for providing research grant (BT/IN/Indo-UK/SVP/08/2018-19) through
NEWTON BHABHA UK-INDIA project (Project no: 100182-584131) jointly funded by DBT
and UKRI.
References
Abdelaziz OY, Brink DP, Prothmann J et al (2016) Biological valorization of low molecular weight
lignin. Biotechnol Adv 34:1318–1346
Baldrian P, López-Mondéjar R (2014) Microbial genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics: new
discoveries in decomposition research using complementary methods. Appl Microbiol Biochem
98:1531–1537
Bao W, Zhou Y, Jiang J, Xu Z et al (2015) Complete genome sequence of Raoultella ornithinolytica
strain S12, a lignin-degrading bacterium isolated from forest soil. Genome Announc 3:e00104–
e00115
Bianchetti CM, Harmann CH, Takasuka TE et al (2013) Fusion of dioxygenase and lignin binding
domains in a novel secreted enzyme from cellulolytic Streptomyces sp. SirexAA-E. J Biochem
288:18574–18587
Billings AF, Fortney JL, Hazen TC et al (2015) Genome sequence and description of the anaerobic
lignin-degrading bacterium Tolumonas lignolytica sp. Stand Genomic Sci 10:106
Bonawitz ND, Chapple C (2010) The genetics of lignin biosynthesis: connecting genotype to
phenotype. Annu Rev Genet 44:337–363
Brown ME, Chang MC (2014) Exploring bacterial lignin degradation. Curr Opin Chem Biol 19:1–7
Brown ME, Walker M, Nakashige TG et al (2011) Discovery and characterization of heme enzymes
from unsequenced bacteria: application to microbial lignin degradation. J Am Chem Soc
133:18006–18009
100
M. Kumar et al.
Amycolatopsis sp. strain ATCC 39116, Novosphingobium sp. Strain MBES04,
Cupriavidus basilensisB-8, Halomonas sp. strain KO116, Klebsiella sp. strain
BRL6-2, Raoultella ornithinolytica strain S12 have shown to degrade the lignin
and its monomers and are validated by whole genome sequencing and followed by
identification of enzymes for lignin degradation and its bioconversion (Kameshwar
and Qin 2016; Kumar et al. 2016).
4.7
Conclusion
The addition of value to the lignin generated as waste from plant polysaccharidebased industry will define the success and sustainability of such industries. The
biological process is discussed for lignin depolymerization and degradation as it is
the most eco-friendly and cost-effective route for its valorization. The pathways for
the funneling of heterogeneous lignin derivatives and the enzymes assisting in the
lignin utilization were discussed that will further assist in engineering the strains for
the enhanced lignin degradation and its valorization. The value addition to lignin
will establish the biorefinery concept and also validate the model of circular
economy.
Acknowledgment We would like to express our sincere thanks to Department of Biotechnology,
Government of India for providing research grant (BT/IN/Indo-UK/SVP/08/2018-19) through
NEWTON BHABHA UK-INDIA project (Project no: 100182-584131) jointly funded by DBT
and UKRI.
References
Abdelaziz OY, Brink DP, Prothmann J et al (2016) Biological valorization of low molecular weight
lignin. Biotechnol Adv 34:1318–1346
Baldrian P, López-Mondéjar R (2014) Microbial genomics, transcriptomics and proteomics: new
discoveries in decomposition research using complementary methods. Appl Microbiol Biochem
98:1531–1537
Bao W, Zhou Y, Jiang J, Xu Z et al (2015) Complete genome sequence of Raoultella ornithinolytica
strain S12, a lignin-degrading bacterium isolated from forest soil. Genome Announc 3:e00104–
e00115
Bianchetti CM, Harmann CH, Takasuka TE et al (2013) Fusion of dioxygenase and lignin binding
domains in a novel secreted enzyme from cellulolytic Streptomyces sp. SirexAA-E. J Biochem
288:18574–18587
Billings AF, Fortney JL, Hazen TC et al (2015) Genome sequence and description of the anaerobic
lignin-degrading bacterium Tolumonas lignolytica sp. Stand Genomic Sci 10:106
Bonawitz ND, Chapple C (2010) The genetics of lignin biosynthesis: connecting genotype to
phenotype. Annu Rev Genet 44:337–363
Brown ME, Chang MC (2014) Exploring bacterial lignin degradation. Curr Opin Chem Biol 19:1–7
Brown ME, Walker M, Nakashige TG et al (2011) Discovery and characterization of heme enzymes
from unsequenced bacteria: application to microbial lignin degradation. J Am Chem Soc
133:18006–18009
100
M. Kumar et al.