ArticleA REVIEW OF SOME IMPORTANT FAMILIES OF REFRACTORY MACROMOLECULES: COMPOSITION, ORIGIN, AND FATE IN SOILS AND SEDIMENTSDerenne, Sylvie; Largeau, ClaudeAuthor Information Laboratoire de Chimie Bioorganique et Organique Physique, CNRS UMR 7573, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, 75231 Paris cedex 05, France. Dr. Derenne is corresponding author. E-mail:[email protected] Received July 23, 2001; accepted Aug. 21, 2001. Soil Science: November 2001 - Volume 166 - Issue 11 - p 833-847 Buy Abstract Extensive knowledge about refractory biomacromolecules has been accumulating for 20 years. The components, characterized by a conspicuous resistance to drastic base and acid laboratory hydrolyses, also exhibit a relatively high resistance to degradation under natural conditions. These refractory biomacromolecules, identified in vascular plants and microalgae, probably play a major role in living organism protection, and they are thought to be important for organic matter sources, composition, and turnover in soils and sediments as well. In addition, some refractory macromolecules are formed in natural environments as the result of condensation/aromatization processes. This review is concerned with six families of refractory macromolecules: lignins, sporopollenins, aliphatic macromolecules (algaenans, cutans, suberans), tannins, black carbon, and proteins. The origin and composition of each family and its contribution to organic matter in soils and sediments are discussed, focusing on recent advances and on questions that are still pending. © 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.
