Enzyme production by Mycena galopus mycelium in artificial media and in Picea sitchensis F1 horizon needle litter.

Mycena galopus is among the most important leaf litter decomposers in UK coniferous and angiosperm woodlands, having the potential to utilise all the major constituents of plant litter. Even so, the enzyme or combination of enzymes produced by M. galopus responsible for lignin depolymerisation was previously unknown. A range of media from liquid and semi-solid cultures to more natural substrata was tested to determine whether laccase was produced by an isolate of M. galopus, M9053. Malt extract liquid medium (MEL) with 2,5-xylidine favoured laccase production as compared with the same medium containing the inducers veratryl alcohol, veratryl aldehyde, veratric acid, homoveratric acid, vanillic acid or p-anisic acid. A semi-solid medium of cereal bran in phosphate buffer and a solid medium of Picea sitchensis F1 horizon needle litter were also not as effective as MEL with 2,5-xylidine as an inducer. Compared with six other isolates of the same species grown in MEL without inducers, M9053 exhibited rates of laccase activity fairly typical for M. galopus. An isolate from a dark coloured basidiome of M. galopus, but not var. nigra, exhibited the greatest activity while var. candida showed relatively low laccase activity. Marasmius androsaceus exhibited peak laccase production several days later than M. galopus. In addition, a manganese-dependent peroxidase that was responsible for 15% (in MEL culture fluid) and 39% (in needle litter extract III) of ligninolytic activity was produced by M9053. A further peroxidase was found to be the major ligninolytic constituent in MEL extracts (53%), and had a similar contribution to total activity (29%) as laccase (32%) in needle litter fraction III. Mycena galopus produced water- and buffer-extractable mannases and xylanases when grown on needle litter.