Natural photoredox catalysts promote light-driven lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase reactions and enzymatic turnover of biomass.

ABSTRACT: Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) catalyze oxidative cleavage of crystalline polysaccharides such as cellulose and chitin and are important for biomass conversion in the biosphere as well as in biorefineries. The target polysaccharides of LPMOs naturally occur in copolymeric structures such as plant cell walls and insect cuticles that are rich in phenolic compounds, which contribute rigidity and stiffness to these materials. Since these phenolics may be photoactive and since LPMO action depends on reducing equivalents, we hypothesized that LPMOs may enable light-driven biomass conversion. Here, we show that redox compounds naturally present in shed insect exoskeletons enable harvesting of light energy to drive LPMO reactions and thus biomass conversion. The primary underlying mec

SUBMITTER: Kommedal EG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9407654 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature