Background As one of the major components of lignocellulosic biomass, lignin has been considered as the most abundant renewable aromatic feedstock in the world. Comparing with thermal or catalytic strategies for lignin degradation, biological conversion is a promising approach featuring with mild conditions and diversity, and has received great attention nowadays. Results In this study, a consortium of white rot fungi composed of Lenzites betulina and Trametes versicolor was employed to enhance the ligninolytic enzyme activity of laccase (Lac) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) under microbial synergism. The maximum enzymatic activity of Lac and MnP was individually 18.06 U mL−1 and 13.58 U mL−1 along with a lignin degradation rate of 50% (wt/wt), which were achieved from batch cultivation of the consortium. The activities of Lac and MnP obtained from the consortium were both improved more than 40%, as compared with monocultures of L. betulina or T. versicolor under the same culture condition. The enhanced biodegradation performance was in accordance with the results observed from scanning electron microscope (SEM) of lignin samples before and after biodegradation, and secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Finally, the analysis of heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) NMR and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) provided a comprehensive product mapping of the lignin biodegradation, suggesting that the lignin has undergone depolymerization of the macromolecules, side-chain cleavage, and aromatic ring-opening reactions. Conclusions Our results revealed a considerable escalation on the enzymatic activity obtained in a short period from the cultivation of the L. betulina or T. versicolor due to the enhanced microbial synergistic effects, providing a potential bioconversion route for lignin utilization.

Background : As one of the major components in lignocellulosic biomass, lignin has been considered as the most abundant renewable aromatic feedstock in the world. Featuring with mild conditions and diversity, biological degradation of lignin is a promising approach comparing with thermal or catalytic ones. Results : In this study, a consortium of white rot fungi composed of Lenzites betulina and Trametes versicolor was employed in order to enhance the ligninolytic enzyme activity of laccase (Lac) and manganese peroxidase (MnP) under microbial synergism. The maximum enzymatic activity of Lac and MnP was individually 18.06 U·mL-1 and 13.58 U·mL-1 along with a lignin degradation rate of 50%, which were achieved from batch cultivation of the consortium. The activity of Lac and MnP obtained from the consortium was all improved more than 40%, compared with monocultures of L. betulina or T. versicolor under the same culture condition. Our findings of enhanced biodegradation were in accordance with the results observed from scanning electron microscope (SEM) and secondary-ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Finally, the analysis of heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) NMR and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) provided a comprehensive product mapping of the lignin biodegradation, suggesting that the lignin has undergone depolymerization of the macromolecules, side-chain cleavage, and aromatic ring-opening reactions. Conclusions : Our results revealed a considerable escalation on the enzymatic activities obtained in a short period from the cultivation of the L. betulina or T. versicolor due to the enhanced microbial synergistic effects, providing a potential bioconversion route for the applications of lignin utilization.