Growth of Thermomonospora fusca on lignocellulosic pulps of varying lignin content

Abstract

The ability of the thermophilic actinomycete, Thermomonospora fusca, to degrade lignocellulose was investigated. Thermomonospora fusca was grown at 55C on lignocellulosic pulps varying in lignin content between 3% and 18%. Thermomonospora fusca was found to degrade primarily the carbohydrate fraction of these substrates. Small, and probably insignificant, losses of lignin were observed after 14 days growth on the substrates. Increasing lignin content in the pulps proportionally blocked carbohydrate utilization by T. fusca. The organism, however, could still substantially solubilize even the substrate containing 18% lignin. It is thought that T. fusca plays a role in the decomposition of lignocellulose in nature; however, it is probably involved with carbohydrate degradation, not lignin degradation.