[27] Lignin peroxidase from fungi: Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Introduction Lignin peroxidases are unusual oxidizing extracellular peroxidases pro­ duced by most of the ligninolytic fungi that cause white rot of wood. 1-4 In the presence of H2O2 they catalyze the one-electron oxidation of a wide variety of aromatics to yield, as initial products, aryl cation radicals that subsequently undergo substituent-dependent reactions of both radical and ionic nature.1-3 These enzymes bring about the oxidative cleavage of lignin model compounds1-3,5 and are thought to be of key importance in lignin