degraded only 8% of BaP after 12 d of incubation. Thus, the isolation of a novel species that can efficiently use BaP as its sole carbon source is still impending. Recent studies have focused on the degradation of BaP by white-rot fungi 10,11. White rot fungi like Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Trametes versicolor, Cirnipellis stipitaria and Pleurotus ostreatus have the ability to efficiently degrade most PAHs as solely carbon source. Enzymatic mechanisms for PAH degradation by white-rot fungi have been widely discussed, and it has been recognized that white-rot fungi degrade PAHs by the synthesis of lignin modifying enzymes like lignin peroxidises (LiP), manganese peroxidases (MnP), laccases (LAC) and other oxidases 12. These enzymes usually catalyze the first attack on the PAHs molecule 2. It was reported that LiP and MnP can directly catalyze the one-electron oxidation of PAHs with an ionization potential (IP) of up to 7.55 eV to produce PAH quinones 13,14 , which can be further metabolized via ring fission 15. In addition, LAC can also catalyze the one-electron oxidation of PAHs, such as anthracene (ANT) and BaP. The efficiency of LAC is enhanced in the presence of mediators, such as 1-hydroxybenzotriabole (HBT) or 2, 2'-azinobis-3ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) 16. Except these well studied species, Hadibarata and Kristanti 10 recently noted that LAC and 1, 2-dioxygenase were produced by Polyporus sp. S133, a white-rot fungus isolated from an oil-contaminated soil, which might play an important role in the transformation of BaP. A novel fungus that can use BaP as sole carbon was isolated from a PAH contaminated soil sample in the Beijing Coking Plant in Beijing, China by our research group, which was identified as the Lasiodiplodia theobromae (L. theobromae) 17. This fungu belongs to the group of botryosphaeriaceous fungi, is a causal agent of storage rot in many fruits and tubers and is a serious pathogen for many agricultural and horticultural crops 18. Ligninolytic enzymes are responsible for the wood cankers that are caused by this group of fungi 19. The ability to secret ligninolytic enzymes is potentially essential for white rot fungi, which is a topic of interest in PAH degradation studies 20. Thus, it is important to assess the enzyme mechanisms that are involved in the degradation of BaP by the L. theobromae. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the enzymatic mechanisms of BaP degradation by the L. theobromae. To do so, BaP was used as the sole carbon and energy source for the L. theobromae and ligninolytic enzymes produced during the BaP biodegradation were assessed. Furthermore, the effects of several metabolic substrates, glucose, salicylic acid, phenanthrene (PHE), and the Tween-80 surfactant on BaP degradation by the L. theobromae and enzyme activities were discussed. Finally, to confirm the potential of the L. theobromae as an efficient BaP degrader, a comparative study of BaP degradation and enzymatic activities was conducted between the L. theobromae and a well-known PAH-degra...