Browsing by Author "Erjama, Melina"

Saprotrophic wood-decaying fungi access nutritional carbon by degrading lignocellulosic biomass with ligninolytic and carbohydrate active enzymes. Research of species-species level interactions of the fungi is crucial to understand ecosystem functions and carbon cycling. Furthermore, research results of wood-decaying fungi and interspecific fungal interactions can be beneficial for development of biotechnological applications. In this study, two brown rot species Fomitopsis pinicola and Fomitopsis betulina, two white rot species Phlebia radiata and Fomes fomentarius and one soft rot species Schizophyllum commune were studied in combination cultures on birch wood substrate for 12 weeks. Interactions of the fungi were studied by analysing laccase, manganese peroxidase, xylanase, and iron reduction activities, and by analysing the expression of genes coding for lignocellulose-degrading enzymes. pH of the cultures was measured to estimate the metabolic activity of the fungal species. Suppression of xylanase and iron reduction activities demonstrated dominance of the white rot species over the other decay type species in the co-cultures. In addition to the depressed enzyme activities, increase in white rot production of laccase and manganese peroxidase activities indicated combative interactions in the co-cultures. This study evidenced species and growth-time dependent changes in signature enzyme activities and in gene expression of wood-decaying fungi during interspecific fungal interactions.