Cellulose-containing waste recycling using fungi

Accumulation of plant waste is a serious environmental problem. Mushrooms with high cellulolytic activity can process it into valuable products that will be useful in solving various industries and agriculture problems. The enzymes of the cellulolytic complex include 1,4-β-D-glucan-4-glucanohydrolase, exo-1,4-β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, β-glucosidase. 1,4-β-D-glucan-4-glucanohydrolases destroy β-1,4-glycosidic bonds within the chain of cellulose and lichenin polysaccharides. Exoglucanases destroy β-1,3- and β-1,4-glycosidic bonds at the end of the molecule. Cellobiohydrolases cleave β-1,4-glycosidic bonds to form cellobiose and glucose. β-glucosidase complete the process of destruction. Fungi with high cellulolytic activity include both representatives of the Ascomycota and Basidiomycota divisions. Ascomycete Chaetomium globosum produces endoglucanases of two families and 8 cellobiohydrolases. Myceliophthora thermophila also produces endoglucanases and cellobiohydrolases, the most abundant of which is Mt Cel7A. The fungus is a promising producer of thermostable enzymes. Trichoderma reesei has a long history of safe use as a source of highly active cellulolytic enzymes and other valuable metabolites. LPMOs of the cellulolytic fungus Thielavia terrestris are considered auxiliary enzymes, but can negatively affect the main enzymes of the complex. Irpex lacteus also produces LPMO and a complete cellulolytic enzyme complex. The cellulolytic activity of fungi and their ability to grow on cheap substrates can be used to bioconvert plant waste into valuable products. One of the ways to utilize them is to convert into compound feed with a high protein content through the use of starter cultures. The use of mushrooms will increase the content of protein and simple carbohydrates, enrich the feed with fats. Another method is to obtain cellulases, which are widely used in many industries. Thanks to the production of biodiesel and bioethanol from cellulose-containing raw materials it is possible to solve the problem of lack of fuel by replacing energy carriers from non-renewable energy sources with their environmentally friendly counterparts. They are less toxic than diesel and gasoline and are also made from renewable resources.

The Carbon Source Controls the Secretion and Yield of Polysaccharide-Hydrolyzing Enzymes of Basidiomycetes

In the present study, the polysaccharide-hydrolyzing secretomes of Irpex lacteus (Fr.) Fr. (1828) BCC104, Pycnoporus coccineus (Fr.) Bondartsev and Singer (1941) BCC310, and Schizophyllum commune Fr. (1815) BCC632 were analyzed in submerged fermentation conditions to elucidate the effect of chemically and structurally different carbon sources on the expression of cellulases and xylanase. Among polymeric substrates, crystalline cellulose appeared to be the best carbon source providing the highest endoglucanase, total cellulase, and xylanase activities. Mandarin pomace as a growth substrate for S. commune allowed to achieve comparatively high volumetric activities of all target enzymes while wheat straw induced a significant secretion of cellulase and xylanase activities of I. lacteus and P. coccineus. An additive effect on the secretion of cellulases and xylanases by the tested fungi was observed when crystalline cellulose was combined with mandarin pomace. In I. lacteus the cellulase and xylanase production is inducible in the presence of cellulose-rich substrates but is suppressed in the presence of an excess of easily metabolizable carbon source. These enzymes are expressed in a coordinated manner under all conditions studied. It was shown that the substitution of glucose in the inoculum medium with Avicel provides accelerated enzyme production by I. lacteus and higher cellulase and xylanase activities of the fungus. These results add new knowledge to the physiology of basidiomycetes to improve cellulase production.

Species Listing of Macrofungi Found in Paracelis Mountain Province, Philippines

Mushrooms are an important natural source of food and medicine. In the Philippines, only a few studies have been conducted on the diversity of mushrooms especially in the mountainous areas. The present study was conducted to document the species of macrofungi found in Paracelis, Mountain Province. The knowledge gained from this study can reveal their importance to the community. A total of 37 macrofungi belonging to 16 families, 26 genera, and 29 species were collected and identified. Twenty nine of the collected macrofungi were identified up to its species level and eight were only identified at its genus level. The collected samples were subjected to morphological identification based on its macroscopic and microscopic characteristics. The identified macrofungi were: Auricularia auricula-judae, Conocybe arrhenii, Coprinellus disseminatus, Coprinus sp., Crepidotus mollis, Daldinia concentrica, Earliella scabrosa, Favolus acervatus, Fomes fomentarium, Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma fornicatum, Ganoderma lucidum, Hygrocybe sp., Irpex lacteus, Lentinus strigosus, Lenzites elegans, Lepiota lilacea, Lepiota sp., Marasmiellus ramealis, Microporus xanthopus, Mycena sp., Panellus mitis, Paneolus cyanescens, Parasola plicalitis, Psathyrella candolleana, Psathyrella sp., Russula sp. Schizophyllum commune, Trametes elegans, Trametes gibbosa, Trametes hirsuta, Trametes versicolor, Trametes sp. 1, Trametes sp. 2, and Xylaria papulis. Out of these macrofungi, four species were identified as edible, viz: Auricularia auricula, Lentinus strigosus, Coprinus disseminatu, and Schizophyllum commune.

The Carbon Source Controls the Secretion and Yield of Polysaccharide-Hydrolyzing Enzymes of Basidiomycetes

In the present study, the polysaccharide-hydrolyzing secretomes of Irpex lacteus BCC104, Pycnoporus coccineus BCC310, and Schizophyllum commune BCC632 were analyzed in submerged fermentation conditions to elucidate the effect of chemically and structurally different carbon sources on the expression of cellulases and xylanase. Among polymeric substrates, crystalline cellulose appeared to be the best carbon source providing the highest endoglucanase, total cellulase, and xylanase activities. Mandarin pomace as a growth substrate for S. commune allowed to achieve comparatively high volumetric activities of all target enzymes while wheat straw induced a significant secretion of cellulase and xylanase activities of I. lacteus and P. coccineus. A synergistic effect on the secretion of cellulases and xylanases by the tested fungi was observed when crystalline cellulose was combined with mandarin pomace. In I. lacteus the cellulase and xylanase production is inducible in the presence of cellulose-rich substrates but is suppressed in the presence of an excess of easily metabolizable carbon source. These enzymes are expressed in a coordinated manner under all conditions studied. It was shown that the substitution of glucose in the inoculum medium with Avicel provides accelerated enzyme production by I. lacteus and higher cellulase and xylanase activities of the fungus. These results add new knowledge to the physiology of basidiomycetes to improve cellulase production.

Revealing two important tryptophan residues with completely different roles in a dye-decolorizing peroxidase from Irpex lacteus F17

Background Dye-decolorizing peroxidases (DyPs) represent a novel family of heme peroxidases that use H2O2 as the final electron acceptor to catalyze the oxidation of various organic compounds. A DyP from Irpex lacteus F17 (Il-DyP4, corresponding to GenBank MG209114), obtained by heterologous expression, exhibits a high catalytic efficiency for phenolic compounds and a strong decolorizing ability toward various synthetic dyes. However, the enzyme structure and the catalytic residues involved in substrate oxidation remain poorly understood. Results Here, we obtained a high-resolution structure (2.0 Å, PDB: 7D8M) of Il‑DyP4 with α-helices, anti-parallel β-sheets and one ferric heme cofactor sandwiched between two domains. The crystal structure of Il‑DyP4 revealed two heme access channels leading from the enzyme molecular surface to its heme region, and also showed four conserved amino acid residues forming the pocket for the conversion of hydrogen peroxide into the water molecule. In addition, we found that Trp264 and Trp380, were two important residues with different roles in Il‑DyP4, by using site-directed mutagenesis and an electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) study. Trp264 is a noncatalytic residue that mainly is used for maintaining the normal spatial conformation of the heme region and the high-spin state of heme Fe3+ of Il‑DyP4, while Trp380 serves as the surface-exposed radical-forming residue that is closely related to the oxidation of substrates including not only bulky dyes, but also simple phenols. Conclusions This study is important for better understanding the catalytic properties of fungal DyPs and their structure–function relationships.

Characterization of a Dye-Decolorizing Peroxidase from Irpex lacteus Expressed in Escherichia coli: An Enzyme with Wide Substrate Specificity Able to Transform Lignosulfonates

A dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP) from Irpex lacteus was cloned and heterologously expressed as inclusion bodies in Escherichia coli. The protein was purified in one chromatographic step after its in vitro activation. It was active on ABTS, 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (DMP), and anthraquinoid and azo dyes as reported for other fungal DyPs, but it was also able to oxidize Mn2+ (as manganese peroxidases and versatile peroxidases) and veratryl alcohol (VA) (as lignin peroxidases and versatile peroxidases). This corroborated that I. lacteus DyPs are the only enzymes able to oxidize high redox potential dyes, VA and Mn+2. Phylogenetic analysis grouped this enzyme with other type D-DyPs from basidiomycetes. In addition to its interest for dye decolorization, the results of the transformation of softwood and hardwood lignosulfonates suggest a putative biological role of this enzyme in the degradation of phenolic lignin.