Plant biomass degradation by fungi has implications for several fields of science. The enzyme systems
employed by fungi for this are broadly used in various industrial sectors such as food & feed, pulp &
paper, detergents, textile, wine, and more recently biofuels and biochemicals. In addition, the topic is
highly relevant in the field of plant pathogenic fungi as they degrade plant biomass to either gain access
to the plant or as carbon source, resulting in significant crop losses. Finally, fungi are the main degraders
of plant biomass in nature and as such have an essential role in the global carbon cycle and ecology in
general.
In this review we provide a global view on the development of this research topic in saprobic ascomycetes
and basidiomycetes and in plant pathogenic fungi and link this to the other papers of this special
issue on plant biomass degradation by fungi.