6 Degradation of Plant Cell Wall Polymers by Fungi

Abstract

The main producers of primary biomass on earth are plants, through the photosynthetic fixation of carbon dioxide into organic matter. Fungi are heterotrophic organisms which depend on preformed organic compounds as energy and nutrient source for the biosynthesis of their own cellular components. They are today the most important and widespread group of organisms responsible for the recycling of plant material back into the ecosystem and are therefore essential components of the global carbon cycle. A large group of fungi is in particular specialized to degrade the complex cell wall produced by plants.