Screening of basidiomycetes and xylariaceous fungi for lignin peroxidase and laccase gene-specific sequences.

Lignin peroxidase and laccase gene-specific PCR primers were used to screen 38 diverse basidiomycetes and xylariaceous fungi. Lignin peroxidase gene-specific sequences were obtained for basidiomycetes only and were highly divergent. Possession of laccase genes was relatively widespread among basidiomycetes, and is shown for the first time in Xylariaceae. All sequences were highly conserved with no variation resulting in changes to predicted amino acid sequence. Those basidiomycetes shown to possess lignin peroxidase and laccase genes also produced the enzyme in vitro. Conversely none of the xylariaceous fungi shown to possess laccase genes were able to do so, whilst others decolorized Poly R yet yielded no PCR amplicons.