Browsing by Subject "wood-decay fungi"

Fungal wood-decayers play an important role in the recycling of biomass and circulation of nutrients in nature. Fungi are capable to convert cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and lignin, by the action of carbohydrate-acting enzymes (CAZymes) secreted and also by non-enzymatic reactions, depending on the ecology and decay strategy of the fungus. In the present study, four Basidiomycota fungi with different decay strategies were studied to compare their enzyme activity profiles. The white rot fungus Phlebia radiata, brown rot fungus Fomitopsis pinicola and “grey rot” fungus Schizophyllum commune were cultivated on birch (Betula pendula) wood pieces for twelve weeks, whereas the litter-decomposing fungus Coprinopsis cinerea was cultivated on cut barley (Hordeum vulgare) straw for six weeks. All fungi were also cultivated on liquid medium (malt extract 2%) for four weeks. Laccase, manganese peroxidase (MnP), β-glucosidase, xylanase and endoglucanase activities were followed weekly by measuring the absorbances on 96-well plates. The pH and the production of organic acids at each time point were also followed. The results showed that P. radiata produced high laccase and MnP activities. Additionally, high amounts of succinic acid in the aqueous phase of the solid-state cultivations were detected. F. pinicola had a notable production of xylanase activity on birch, in contrast to the moderate β-glucosidase and endoglucanase activities observed on the same substrate. S. commune was a strong producer of β-glucosidase, but especially xylanase activity on solid substrate. Lastly, the litter-decomposer C. cinerea seemed to have a poor performance in enzymatically decomposing the lignin portion from barley straw, whereas a preference on hemicellulose decomposition was observed. Overall, the results indicated the ability of the studied fungi in decomposing the components of the plant cell wall to different extents according to their decay strategy, which is key in the understanding of the ecophysiology of wood-decay and litter-decomposing fungi, and the potential of fungal enzymes for biotechnological applications.