Enzymatic activity of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase

Abstract

The present invention is in the area of enzymes for (hemi-)cellulose degradation and/or modification, more in particular the degradation and/or modification of xylan. The invention is based on a newly discovered enzymatic activity of a class of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs), i.e. oxidative cleavage of xylan in addition to oxidative cleavage of cellulose. The present invention therefore relates to a method for degrading and/or modifying xylan in a xylan-comprising substrate, a method for preparing a product from a xylan-comprising substrate, a kit of parts, a liquid, paste or solid formulation, and a xylan-comprising composition, comprising said LPMO. The invention further relates to a use of said LPMO, said kit of parts, said formulation and/or said composition, in a method of the invention