Lytic Polysaccharide Monooxygenases for Biomass Deconstruction and Biorefinery Valorization

Lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are copper-dependent oxidative enzymes that have transformed the biochemical paradigm of polysaccharide depolymerization. LPMOs are not simply hydrolytic bond cleavers but rather exploit a conserved copper-containing active site coordinated by the characteristic histidine brace to perform oxidative cleavage of otherwise recalcitrant glycosidic linkages in cellulose, hemicellulose, chitin and other structurally complex polysaccharides.

The catalytic turnover seems to be founded on H₂O₂-driven peroxygenase chemistry, as increasingly supported by evidence. This raises important mechanistic questions regarding copper redox cycling, electron delivery, management of reactive oxygen species and oxidative self-inactivation. They synergize with glycoside hydrolases, which can significantly improve substrate accessibility and saccharification efficiency, making LPMOs important components of next-generation enzymatic biomass-conversion systems. Emerging metagenomic discovery, structural biology, protein engineering and redox-process control are now extending LPMO diversity beyond established families, creating opportunities to engineer oxidative biocatalysts for selective biomass deconstruction and value-added biorefinery production.

This Special Issue aims to collect contributions that advance the molecular, mechanistic and biotechnological understanding of lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) as catalytic-drivers of biomass deconstruction and biorefinery valorization. Despite the significant progress made in LPMO discovery, structural biology and oxidative catalysis, important knowledge is still dispersed across enzyme mechanism, substrate recognition, redox control, enzyme engineering, multienzyme synergy and process-scale biomass conversion. Thus, a focused forum that brings together these dimensions is timely to consolidate emerging evidence and delineate strategies for translating LPMO chemistry into higher-productivity biorefineries. Special emphasis will be placed on enhanced production of fermentable sugars, cellobiose/cellooligosaccharides, bioethanol and other biofuels, organic acids, biochemicals and other value added biomass derived products.
Potential areas of interest may include, but are not limited to:
● LPMO structure–function relationships, histidine-brace copper chemistry, and catalytic mechanisms
● H₂O₂-driven catalysis, electron transfer, redox regulation, and oxidative self-inactivation
● Substrate recognition, polysaccharide accessibility, biomass recalcitrance, and oxidative chain scission
● LPMO–glycoside hydrolase synergy for efficient biomass saccharification
● Discovery and characterization of novel LPMO families using omics and structural biology
● Protein engineering, directed evolution, and computational design for enhanced catalytic performance
● LPMO-enabled production of fermentable sugars, cellooligosaccharides, bioethanol, and advanced biofuels
● Biorefinery integration, process intensification, scale-up, and production of value-added biochemicals
● Product profiling, transformation pathways, and analytical strategies for oxidized biomass products

Authors are welcome to submit articles presenting original studies or literature review work. Please consult the journal's information regarding Article Types, Author Guidelines, and Publishing Fees, or direct any questions to the Editorial Office: abp@frontierspartnerships.org.

Even though abstract submission is not mandatory, we encourage all interested researchers to submit a “manuscript summary” before submitting their article. Manuscript summaries do not have to coincide with the final abstract of the article.

Article types and fees

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Special Issue accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Special Issue description:

• Brief Research Report
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Lignocellulosic biomass, Carbohydrate active enzyme, Enzyme engineering, Biooxydative catalysis, Biomass valorization.