Keywords Lignin biodcgradalion Arylglyccrol-ß-aryl ethcrGlyccrol-2-( vanillic acid) cthcr 3-Ethoxy-4-h\ droxybcnzoic acid Vanillic acid Fusarium solani M-13-l Summary Degradation of glyccrol-2-(vanillic acid) cthcr (1) which is a catabolic intcrmcdiatc of guaiacylglycerol-ß-(vanillic acid) cthcr. thc most important lignin substructure model. by Fusarium solani M-13-l was invcstigated. Compound l was complctcly dcgradcd without accumulation of dctcctablc amounts of catabolic products. Thus. dcgradation of glyccrol-2-(3-cthoxy-4-hydroxybenzoic acid) cther (2). which has an cthoxyl group instcad of a mcthoxyl group. by thc fungus was cxamincd. Compound 2 was complctcly degradcd, and 3-cthoxy-4-h v droxybcnzoic acid (3) äs a major catabolic product with two minor catabolic products. 4-hydroxy-3-vinyloxybcn2oic acid (4) and 3,4-(hydroxymethyl)mcthylenedioxybcnzoic acid (5). wcrc isolatcd and idcntificd from thc culturc filtratc. Both compounds 3 and 4 wcrc complctcly dcgradcd, but 5 rcmained in thc culturc in thc constant amount. Thc rcsults indicatcd that thc 2-(ß-) aryl cthcr linkagc of 2 was clcavcd by thc culturc of F. solani M-13-1. It is suggcstcd that l is dcgradcd via thc clcavagc of its 2-(ß-) aryl cthcr bond.