Lignocellulose-degrading marine fungi

Abstract

Evidence for lignocellulose-degrading ability among marine fungi is reviewed. Enzyme production, mass loss and micromorphological data suggest that most strains capable of decay activity are likely to be soft-rot fungi, with relatively few capable of white-rot decay. This probably reflects the relatively high number of ascomycete genera compared to basidiomycetes described to date. The ecological and biotechnological importance of marine fungal lignocellulolytic enzymes is discussed.