Copper induction of laccases by Lentinus polychrous under liquid-state fermentation

Abstract

The fungus Lentinus polychrous, an edible mushroom popular in Northeast Thailand secretes ligninolytic enzymes, mainly laccases and manganese peroxidases. This research investigates the production of ligninolytic enzymes by the fungus culture in liquid medium in the presence of two well-known laccase inducers. Using Basidiomecetes synthetic medium (BSM), higher laccase activity of 350UL-1was obtained at day 14, when the culture was induced in the presence of 1.0mM CuSO4, but not with 1.0mM 2,5-xylidine. Higher concentration (3.0mM) CuSO4could inhibit enzyme production and the fungal growth. Optimum inducer concentration for laccase production by L. polychrous was 0.1mM CuSO4,which yielded the highest laccase activity per biomass (67.9Ug-1). When the fungus was cultured in Erlenmeyer flasks in Glucose Yeast Peptone (GYP) medium, the maximum production of laccase was found to be approximately 2000UL-1with 0.3mM CuSO4as inducer for 2 weeks. Laccase production in a bioreactor yielded more than 1000UL-1laccase at 8 days culture, making this system feasible for enhancement of high laccase production. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.