Erosion of wood by enzymes of wood-rotting basidiomycetes.

Theoretical considerations of molecular sizes of enzymes causing wood decay indicate that, on a priori grounds, enzymatic degradation of wood appears to be confined to outside surfaces or gross capillaries (Cowling and Brown, Advan. in Chem. Ser. 95:152-188, 1969). Although direct experimental evidence is lacking for this pattern of wood degradation by isolated enzymes, we have data from studies with ball-milled wood that support the proposed mechanism.