This genome was sequenced as part of the JGI CSP “Survey of the lignocellulolytic capabilities over the order Polyporales” project. Within Agaricomycotina, the order Polyporales is the major group of wood decayers in temperate and tropical forests. As such, Polyporales have a pivotal role in the global carbon cycle. Lignocellulose is the principal carbon storage on the emerged land. Lignin degradation by white-rot fungi provides access to the polysaccharides that can thereby be used as a source of carbon or energy by other microorganisms. On the contrary, brown-rot fungi leave behind inert residual lignin and participate to carbon long-term storage in soils.
Because they are able to totally degrade lignin from wood, white-rot filamentous fungi have a high potential for biotechnological processes, particularly for lignocellulosic feedstock biorefinery applications. Lignocellulose is a high potential renewable resource for the production of biofuels and chemicals, including high-value chemicals, from biomass. Notably, complex raw materials from different origins (dedicated crops, agricultural wastes, silviculture, etc.) that do not compete with food production constitute new sources of sugars that can be fermented for production of bioethanol.
Beyond research on lignocellulose modifying enzymes amenable to biotechnological applications, the genomic survey of Polyporales provides data for comparative genomics and research on fungal biology, fungus adaptation to the environment (e.g. temperate vs. tropical strains), plant-fungus interactions (e.g. saprotrophs vs. symbionts) and for phylogenomics investigations.
Artolenzites elegans is a representative of the genus Artolenzites, inside the Trametes group. Both molecular markers and morphological features distinguish Artolenzites from the core genus Trametes. The genome sequencing for Artolenzites elegans will allow exploration of novel biocatalysts and deepen our understanding of the functional diversity among Polyporales, i.e. enzymatic capabilities linked to plant cell wall modifications.