Whole genome structural predictions reveal hidden diversity in putative oxidative enzymes of the lignocellulose-degrading ascomycete NO1.

An annotated reference genome has revealed NO1 as a useful resource for the identification of new lignocellulose-degrading enzymes for biorefining of woody plant biomass. Utilizing a "structure-omics"-based searching strategy, we identified new potentially lignocellulose-active sequences that would have been missed by traditional sequence searching methods. These new identifications, alongside the discovery of novel enzymatic functions from this underexplored lineage with the recent discovery of a new phenol oxidase that cleaves the main structural β-O-4 linkage in lignin from NO1, highlight the underexplored and poorly represented family Microascaceae as a particularly interesting candidate worthy of further exploration toward the valorization of high value biorenewable products.