Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Pleurotus ostreatus Reveals Great Metabolic Differences in the Cap and Stipe Development and the Potential Role of Ca2+ in the Primordium Differentiation

Pleurotus ostreatus is a widely cultivated edible fungus around the world. At present, studies on the developmental process of the fruiting body are limited. In our study, we compared the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the stipe and cap of the fruiting body by high-throughput proteomics. GO and pathway analysis revealed the great differences in the metabolic levels, including sucrose and starch metabolism, and sphingolipid signaling and metabolism, and the differences of 16 important DEPs were validated further by qPCR analysis in expression level. In order to control the cap and stipe development, several chemical inducers were applied to the primordium of the fruiting body according to the pathway enrichment results. We found that CaCl₂ can affect the primordium differentiation through inhibiting the stipe development. EGTA (ethyleneglycol bis (β-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid) treatment confirmed the inhibitory role of Ca²⁺ in the stipe development. Our study not only shows great metabolic differences during the cap and stipe development but also reveals the underlying mechanism directing the primordium differentiation in the early development of the fruiting body for the first time. Most importantly, we provide a reliable application strategy for the cultivation and improvement of the Pleurotus ostreatus, which can be an example and reference for a more edible fungus.

Removal and tolerance mechanism of Pb by a filamentous fungus: A case study

Currently, Pb pollution has become a severe environmental problem and filamentous fungi hold a promising potential for the treatment of Pb-containing wastewater. The present study showed that the strain Pleurotus ostreatus ISS-1 had a strong ability to tolerate Pb at high concentration and reached a removal rate of 53.7% in liquid media. Pb was removed by extracellular biosorption, intracellular bioaccumulation by mycelia, or precipitation with extracellular oxalic acids. On the cellular level, Pb was mainly distributed in the cell wall, followed by vacuoles and organelles. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis indicated that hydroxyl, amides, carboxyl, and sulfhydryl groups provided binding sites for Pb. Furthermore, Pb was found on the cell surface in the form of PbS and PbCO₃ through X-ray diffraction (XRD). Intracellular chelates such as thiol compounds and oxalic acid, as well as extracellular oxalic acid, might play an important role in the tolerance of Pb. In addition, isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) analysis showed that ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter, cytochrome P450, peroxisome, and the calcium signaling pathway might participate in both accumulation and detoxification of Pb. These results have successfully provided a basis for further developing Pb polluted water treatment technology by fungi.

Valorization of spent oyster mushroom substrate and laccase recovery through successive solid state cultivation of Pleurotus, Ganoderma, and Lentinula strains

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) of Pleurotus ostreatus was supplemented with wheat bran and soybean flour in various proportions to obtain C/N ratios of 10, 20, and 30, and their effect was evaluated in successive cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus pulmonarius, Ganoderma adspersum, Ganoderma resinaceum, and Lentinula edodes strains with respect to mycelium growth rate, biomass concentration, recovery of the enzyme laccase and crude exopolysaccharides, and also with additional fruiting body production. All fungi showed the highest growth rate on unamended SMS (C/N 30), with G. resinaceum being the fastest colonizer (Kr = 9.84 mm day-1), while biomass concentration maximized at C/N 10. Moreover, supplementation affected positively laccase activity, with P. pulmonarius furnishing the highest value (44,363.22 U g-1) at C/N 20. On the contrary, L. edodes growth, fruiting, and laccase secretion were not favored by SMS supplementation. Fruiting body formation was promoted at C/N 30 for Ganoderma and at C/N 20 for Pleurotus species. Exopolysaccharide production of further studied Pleurotus strains was favored at a C/N 20 ratio, at the initial stage of SMS colonization. The obtained results support the potential effective utilization of supplemented SMS for laccase production from Ganoderma spp. and for new fruiting body production of Pleurotus spp.

Mechanisms of Cd and Cr removal and tolerance by macrofungus Pleurotus ostreatus HAU-2

Fungi bioaccumulation is a novel and highly promising approach to remediate polluted soil. The present study revealed a high ability to tolerate Cd and Cr in the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus HAU-2. However, high concentrations of Cd and Cr can suppress fungal growth and result in a variation of hypha micromorphology. Batch experiments were performed to investigate Cd and Cr stress effects on the amount of active oxygen in fungi, activity of antioxidant enzyme, as well as the removal efficiency of Cd and Cr. The results revealed that Cd and Cr caused increasing active oxygen and malonaldehyde (MDA) concentrations. Antioxidant enzymes play a central role in removing active oxygen, while glutathione (GSH) aids the Cd detoxification within cells. In fluid culture, fungal removal rates of Cd and Cr ranged from 44.85% to 80.36% and 14.49% to 45.55%, respectively. Intracellular accumulation and extracellular adsorption were the major removal approaches. Bag cultivation testing indicated that the fungus absorbed Cd and Cr contained within soil. In particular, the accumulation ability of Cd (15.6mgkg^-1) was higher compared to that of Cr (8.9mgkg^-1). These results successfully establish P. ostreatus HAU-2 as promising candidate for the remediation of heavy-metal polluted soils.

Alleviating the toxicity of heavy metals by combined amendments in cultivated bag of Pleurotus cornucopiae

The substrate of mushroom can be polluted with heavy metals and subsequently contaminate mushroom, which requires alternative solutions to reduce associated environmental and human health risks. The effects of amendment application on alleviating Cu and Cd toxicities to Pleurotus cornucopiae were investigated in a cultivated bag experiment conducted with the naturally contaminated substrate. Addition of combined amendments (sodium bentonite, silicon fertilizer, activated carbon, and potassium dihydrogen phosphate) increased the P. cornucopiae biomass and substrate pH. Cu and Cd concentration in P. cornucopiae as well as the available Cu and Cd in substrate reduced for the presence of amendments, and the silicon fertilizer had the biggest inhibition on metal uptake. The smallest amount of Cu and Cd in P. cornucopiae was only 30.8 and 5.51% of control, respectively. Moreover, application of amendments also decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) level in metal-stressed mushroom by 4.38-53.74 and 8.90-58.42% relative to control, respectively. The decreased oxidative stress could well contribute to the growth of P. cornucopiae, and the elevated substrate pH might lead to the lower metal availability, thus resulting in the reduction of metal accumulation in mushroom. These above results suggest that application of combined amendments in mushroom substrate could be implemented in a general scheme aiming at controlling metal content in P. cornucopiae.

Structure-Activity Relationships of Triterpenoid Saponins on Fruiting Body Induction inPleurotus ostreatus

To elucidate the structure-activity relationships of saponin on fruiting body induction in Pleurotus ostreatus, monodesmosidic saponins comprising a triterpenoid and glucose residues were synthesized. Betulin, a triterpenoid present in Birch bark, was used as the aglycon. The fruiting body induction activity increased with the number of glucose residues, from one to four. The most active betulinic saponin was betulin-3-yl beta-D-(4-O-beta-D-maltotriosyl)-glucoside.

Pleurotus ostreatus biofilms exhibit higher tolerance to toxicants than free-floating counterparts

The MBEC(TM)-High Throughput Assay based on the Calgary Biofilm Device was used to produce and to characterize Pleurotus ostreatus biofilms. Hydroxyapatite coating of pegs was required to enable biofilm attachment; biofilm amounts and homogeneity of distribution were markedly improved upon removal of non-sessile biomass after 48 h from inoculation. Scanning electron microscopy showed surface-associated and multi-layered growth stabilized by the presence of an extracellular matrix (ECM). Biofilms had higher contents of total sugars and ECM than their free-floating counterparts. Tolerance to Cr(VI) in the former was about twice that of the latter as inferred by the respective inhibitory concentrations (48.4 vs 24.1 mM and 114.5 vs 61.0 mM in 4- and 7-d-old cultures, respectively). Biofilms also displayed superior olive-mill wastewater (OMW) treatment efficiency along 5 consecutive batches leading to chemical oxygen demand and total phenol removals higher than 50 and 90%, respectively. Laccase activity peaks in biofilm cultures grown on OMW were significantly higher than those in free-floating cultures.

The effects of olives harvest period and production year on olive mill wastewater properties - evaluation of Pleurotus strains as bioindicators of the effluent's toxicity

Olive mill wastewater (OMW) generated during the oil extraction from Olea europea L. var. koroneiki olives was sampled at the beginning, the middle and the end of the harvesting season for three successive crop production years, and from four olive mills. OMW samples were examined in respect to their physicochemical characteristics, fatty acid composition of the lipid fraction, and adverse effects on biomass production of nine white-rot fungi of the basidiomycetous genus Pleurotus. Total N, nitrogen species, potassium and phosphate concentrations as well as total phenolics content of OMW samples were influenced by the crop year but not from the harvest period (albeit higher values for nitrate, nitrite, phosphate and potassium as well as total phenolics contents were obtained during ripening of olives), whereas protein concentration, total organic carbon and total solids were not significantly affected by the crop year or the harvest period. In addition, fatty acids composition, i.e. nC14:0, nC16:1Δ9cis, nC17:1Δ10cis, nC18:0, nC18:1Δ9cis, nC22:0 and nC24:0 varied significantly during different crop years and harvest periods. Olive fruits maturity and biannual alternate-bearing appear to play key-roles in the fatty acid variation detected in OMW samples. OMW toxicity as evaluated by the mycelium growth of Pleurotus strains was influenced significantly by the phenolic content of OMW samples obtained during three successive crop years; in contrast, the olives harvest period did not affect Pleurotus biomass production. Hence, experimental data indicated that selected Pleurotus strains could serve as bioindicators of OMW toxicity. Development of viable OMW detoxification processes as well as the exploitation of the effluent's fertilizing value are discussed in the light of the above findings.

Induction of laccase activity in the white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus using water polluted with wheat straw extracts

The purpose of this work was to explore the use of polluted water effluents from wheat straw using industries as inducers of lignocellulolytic enzymatic activities in cultures of white rot basidiomycetes. For this purpose, we studied the effect of a wheat straw water extract on the evolution of the laccase activity recovered from submerged cultures of Pleurotus ostreatus made in different media and under various culture conditions. Our results demonstrated an accumulative induction effect in all the cultures and conditions tested. This induction is parallel to changes in the laccase electrophoretic profiles recovered from the culture supernatants. The isoenzyme that appeared to be mainly responsible for the laccase activity under these conditions was laccase 10, as confirmed by sequencing the induced protein. These results support the idea of using wheat straw effluents as inducers in liquid cultures of P. ostreatus mycelia for the production of ligninolytic enzymatic cocktails.

Release of Pleurotus ostreatus versatile-peroxidase from Mn2+ repression enhances anthropogenic and natural substrate degradation

The versatile-peroxidase (VP) encoded by mnp4 is one of the nine members of the manganese-peroxidase (MnP) gene family that constitutes part of the ligninolytic system of the white-rot basidiomycete Pleurotus ostreatus (oyster mushroom). VP enzymes exhibit dual activity on a wide range of substrates. As Mn(2+) supplement to P. ostreatus cultures results in enhanced degradation of recalcitrant compounds and lignin, we examined the effect of Mn(2+) on the expression profile of the MnP gene family. In P. ostreatus (monokaryon PC9), mnp4 was found to be the predominantly expressed mnp in Mn(2+)-deficient media, whereas strongly repressed (to approximately 1%) in Mn(2+)-supplemented media. Accordingly, in-vitro Mn(2+)-independent activity was found to be negligible. We tested whether release of mnp4 from Mn(2+) repression alters the activity of the ligninolytic system. A transformant over-expressing mnp4 (designated OEmnp4) under the control of the β-tubulin promoter was produced. Now, despite the presence of Mn(2+) in the medium, OEmnp4 produced mnp4 transcript as well as VP activity as early as 4 days after inoculation. The level of expression was constant throughout 10 days of incubation (about 0.4-fold relative to β-tubulin) and the activity was comparable to the typical activity of PC9 in Mn(2+)-deficient media. In-vivo decolorization of the azo dyes Orange II, Reactive Black 5, and Amaranth by OEmnp4 preceded that of PC9. OEmnp4 and PC9 were grown for 2 weeks under solid-state fermentation conditions on cotton stalks as a lignocellulosic substrate. [(14)C]-lignin mineralization, in-vitro dry matter digestibility, and neutral detergent fiber digestibility were found to be significantly higher (about 25%) in OEmnp4-fermented substrate, relative to PC9. We conclude that releasing Mn(2+) suppression of VP4 by over-expression of the mnp4 gene in P. ostreatus improved its ligninolytic functionality.

Biodecontamination of aqueous substrates from bisphenol A by ligninolytic fungi

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disruptor compound of health concern in natural systems. In this study, BPA removal from solid and aqueous matrices by ligninolytic fungi was investigated. Three white rot fungi, Trametes versicolor (TRA), Stereum hirsutum (STE) and Pleurotus ostreatus (PLE) were evaluated for their capacity to remove BPA added at concentrations of 4.6 and 46 mg L(-1) from potato dextrose agar (PDA) growth medium and at 4.6 mg L(-1) from aqueous solutions. Further, the inhibition of mycelial growth exerted by BPA was evaluated in the experiments with PDA. Results obtained showed that BPA was toxic for TRA and STE only at the higher concentration in PDA. However, the efficiency of the three fungi for BPA removal was significant at either doses, with TRA showing the maximum removal efficiency. In the experiments in aqueous solutions BPA was removed efficiently only by TRA after 7 days and STE after 10 days.

A mechanistic study of the enhancing effect of Tween 80 on the mycelial growth and exopolysaccharide production by Pleurotus tuber-regium

Several new observations related to the enhancement effect of Tween 80 on the mycelial growth and exopolysaccharide production by the submerged fermentation of Pleurotus tuber-regium were reported in the present study. Firstly, it was found that the addition of Tween 80 on the 5th day could significantly increase the glucose consumption rate at the later stage of the fermentation compared to the control. Secondly, addition of Tween 80 could maintain the intact structure of the mycelial pellets of P. tuber-regium with little signs of disintegration as observed under microscope and kept the pH value of the fermentation broth at an acidic level lower than that of the control. Thirdly, the oleic acid (C18:1) composition in the mycelial cell membrane was significantly increased from 2.6% (in the control) to 18.5% (with addition of Tween 80) coincided with a decrease in the concentration of Tween 80 in the culture medium. These new findings provide some important insight to the elucidation of the detailed mechanism by which Tween 80 is used as a stimulatory agent in the submerged fermentation of mushroom mycelium.

Transformation of the recalcitrant pharmaceutical compound carbamazepine by Pleurotus ostreatus: role of cytochrome P450 monooxygenase and manganese peroxidase

Carbamazepine (CBZ) is an environmentally recalcitrant compound highly stable in soil and during wastewater treatment. In this study, we examined the mechanisms by which the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus metabolizes CBZ in liquid culture using a physiological approach. P. ostreatus PC9 was grown in media known to support different levels of a multiplicity of enzyme systems such as cytochrome P450 (CYP450) and manganese peroxidase (MnP). When both CYP450 and MnP systems were active, 99% of the added CBZ was eliminated from the solution and transformed to 10,11-epoxycarbamazepine. High removal of CBZ was also obtained when either MnP or CYP450 was active. When both CYP450 and MnP were inactivated, only 10 to 30% of the added CBZ was removed. In this latter system, removal of CBZ might be partially attributed to the activity of versatile peroxidase. P. ostreatus was able to eliminate CBZ in liquid culture even when CBZ was added at an environmentally relevant concentration (1 μg L(-1)). On the basis of our study, we suggest that two families of enzymes are involved in the oxidation of CBZ in liquid culture: MnP in a Mn(2+)-dependent or independent manner and CYP450. Our study also highlights the potential of using P. ostreatus for bioremediation systems.

Use of stimulatory agents to enhance the production of bioactive exopolysaccharide from pleurotus tuber-regium by submerged fermentation

Fatty acids, organic solvents and surfactants were investigated for their stimulatory effects on the growth of fungal mycelium and production of exopolysaccharide (EPS) by submerged fermentation of an edible mushroom Pleurotus tuber-regium. Addition of 3.0 g/L Tween 80 at the late stage of exponential growth phase provided the best stimulatory effect on mycelial biomass and fungal EPS production with a 51.3 and 41.8% increase, respectively. The chemical structure of the EPS produced with addition of Tween 80 was found to be a glucomannan with similar monosaccharide composition and glycosidic linkages but a significantly lower molecular weight (3.18 ± 0.09 × 10(6) Da), compared to the control (4.30 ± 0.12 × 10(6) Da). These two EPS could significantly inhibit the growth of chronic myelogenous leukemia K562 cells in a dose dependent manner, with an estimated IC(50) value of 43.7 and 47.6 μg/mL, respectively. The use of stimulatory agents to enhance production of bioactive fungal EPS can be applied in other fungal fermentation processes for enhancing production of useful metabolites.

Yield performances and changes in enzyme activities of Pleurotus spp. (P. ostreatus and P. sajor-caju) cultivated on different agricultural wastes

Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus sajor-caju were studied for their ability to produce laccase and carboxymethylcellulase (CMCase) enzymes on different agricultural wastes under solid state fermentation. The spawns of P. ostreatus and P. sajor-caju were inoculated on different agricultural wastes including viticulture wastes, wheat straw, paddy straw, sesame straw, sawdust as well as the mixtures of these wastes with wheat bran. The carbon and nitrogen contents of substrates containing bran were the highest. The laccase activities of P. ostreatus and P. sajor-caju reached the highest values on the day 10 of mycelial growth. This enzyme activity was higher on the substrates containing bran which had high nitrogen and low C/N ratio than the other tested substrates with no bran. The CMCase activities of P. sajor-caju and P. ostreatus had two peaks on the 5th day of mycelial growth and after first flash. P. ostreatus and P. sajor-caju grown on substrates containing wheat bran had higher biological efficiencies and total yields as well as higher CMCase and laccase activities.

Investigation of growth responses in saprophytic fungi to charred biomass

We present the results of a study testing the response of two saprophytic white-rot fungi species, Pleurotus pulmonarius and Coriolus versicolor, to charred biomass (charcoal) as a growth substrate. We used a combination of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, elemental abundance measurements, and isotope ratio mass spectrometry ((13)C and (15)N) to investigate fungal colonisation of control and incubated samples of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) wood, and charcoal from the same species produced at 300 degrees C and 400 degrees C. Both species of fungi colonise the surface and interior of wood and charcoals over time periods of less than 70 days; however, distinctly different growth forms are evident between the exterior and interior of the charcoal substrate, with hyphal penetration concentrated along lines of structural weakness. Although the fungi were able to degrade and metabolise the pine wood, charcoal does not form a readily available source of fungal nutrients at least for these species under the conditions used in this study.

The protective effect of selenium inorganic forms against cadmium and silver toxicity in mycelia of Pleurotus ostreatus

The effect of two inorganic selenium forms has been investigated in the mycelia of Pleurotus ostreatus exposed to cadmium and silver salts in the shaken cultures. The degree of toxicity was assessed by the determination of malondialdehyde (MDA; a common biomarker of lipid peroxidation). The mycelia were exposed to one element form (up to 5 mg l(-1)) and also to the following combinations: cadmium(II) + selenium(IV); cadmium(II) + selenium(VI); silver(I) + selenium(IV); silver(I) + selenium(VI). The concentrations of cadmium, silver, selenium, and MDA were assessed in the mixed cytosol and cell membrane fractions (CCM). A positive correlation between MDA and cadmium was found in the CCM (beta=0.7775, P=0.0001), whereas the effect of silver was less significant (beta=0.4642, P=0.039). These results indicate that silver(I) and cadmium(II) have different capacities to induce lipid peroxidation in P. ostreatus. The protective role of selenium against metal-induced oxidative damage was found to be dependent on the oxidation state of the element form in the growth medium. The strongest beneficial effect was observed in mycelia exposed to cadmium(II) + selenium(IV) (inverse correlation between MDA and selenium in the CCM: beta=-0.7129, P=0.009) and it has been ascribed to a lower incorporation of the toxic metal and/or to possible intracellular interaction between selenium and cadmium. Under exposure to silver(I), the protective effect of selenium(IV) was less noticeable (correlation between MDA and selenium in the CCM; beta=-0.6068, P=0.036); in the presence of selenium(VI), no beneficial effect was observed.

Influence of dimethyl sulfoxide on extracellular enzyme production by Pleurotus ostreatus

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is commonly used as a co-solvent to dissolve poorly water-soluble biologically active agents to assess their biological activities such as for enzyme induction. The question addressed was whether DMSO can be assumed to be an inert co-solvent. The influence of DMSO on the production of extracellular enzymes by Pleurotus ostreatus was investigated. DMSO functioned as either an inducer or a repressor, depending on the enzyme studied. The production of laccase and endo-1,4-beta-xylanase increased by 29 and 250%, respectively, in presence of DMSO. However, DMSO repressed the activities of manganese peroxidase, beta-glucosidase, beta-xylanase, and endo-1,4-beta-glucanase by 30, 33, 99 and 16%, respectively. These results raise concerns about the interpretation of bioactivity measurements when DMSO is assumed to function as an inert co-solvent to solubilize water-insoluble molecules.

Effect of copper and manganese ions on activities of laccase and peroxidases in three Pleurotus species grown on agricultural wastes

Copper (Cu2+) and manganese (Mn2+) ions influenced laccase (Lac) and peroxidase production in Pleurotus eryngii, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Pleurotus pulmonarius. In P. eryngii, the optimum Cu2+ concentration for Lac production was 1 mM and for peroxidases 10 mM, and Mn2+ concentration of 5 mM led to peaks of Lac and peroxidase activity. In P. ostreatus HAI 493, the highest level of Lac activity was at Cu2+ concentrations of 1 and 10 mM and Mn2+ concentration of 1 mM, respectively. The absence of Cu2+ and Mn2+ caused the highest levels of peroxidase production. In P. ostreatus HAI 494, the highest level of Lac activity was at a Cu2+ concentration of 5 mM and at Mn2+ concentration of 1 mM, respectively. High levels of peroxidase activity were found in the medium without and with 1 mM Cu2+, and at 1 and 5 mM Mn2+, respectively. In P. pulmonarius, the highest Lac activity was found in the presence of 5 mM Cu2+ and 5 mM Mn2+, respectively. The absence of Cu2+ and Mn2+ as well as their presence at a concentration of 1 mM led to the peaks of peroxidase activities.

Growth and production of laccases by the ligninolytic fungi,Pleurotus ostreatus andBotryosphaeria rhodina , cultured on basal medium containing the herbicide, Scepter® (imazaquin)

The herbicide, Scepter, whose active principle is imazaquin, is commonly used in soybean farming to combat wide-leaf weeds. The basidiomycete, Pleurotus ostreatus , and the ascomycete, Botryosphaeria rhodina , were evaluated for their growth and laccase production when cultured on basal media containing Scepter. Both fungi could grow on the herbicide when cultivated in solid and submerged liquid culture in the presence of Scepter at concentrations of 0-6% (v/v) for P. ostreatus , and up to 0-50% (v/v) for B. rhodina , and in each case produced laccases when assayed against ABTS [2,2(1)-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)] and 2,6-dimethoxyphenol. P . ostreatus could tolerate up to 6% of Scepter before it became toxic to the fungus, while in the case of B. rhodina , 50% (v/v) Scepter was the highest amount that supported grow, and laccase activity was detectable up to 25% (v/v). An inverse relationship existed between the level of Scepter in the culture medium that supported fungal growth and laccase production. Analysis of the results showed that the fungi studied presented different behaviour towards Scepter in the culture environment.

Degradation of lignocellulose by Pleurotus ostreatus in the presence of copper, manganese, lead and zinc

Pleurotus ostreatus produces the cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes endo-1,4-beta-glucanase, exo-1,4-beta-glucanase, 1,4-beta-glucosidase, endo-1,4-beta-xylanase, 1,4-beta-xylosidase, endo-1,4-beta-mannanase and 1,4-beta-mannosidase and ligninolytic enzymes Mn-peroxidase and laccase during growth on wheat straw in the presence and absence of Cu, Mn, Pb, and Zn. This is the first report concerning endo-1,4-beta-mannanase in P. ostreatus. Although the concentrations of trace metals in wheat straw ranged from units to tens of microg g(-1), only 3-6% (Fe, Pb) or 30-45% (Cu, Mn, Zn) of the total amount was extractable and available for the fungus. The substrate colonization rate was only decreased by high concentrations of Cu and Zn; the loss of dry mass differed among treatments in the initial phase of fungal growth, and at the end of the experiment (day 98) it was significantly lower in metal-containing treatments (63-66%) than in the control (70%). The cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzyme were prone to a metal effect except for the increase in endo-1,4-beta-glucanase and 1,4-beta-glucosidase in the presence of Zn. Laccase activity was increased by all tested metals, and unlike other white-rot fungi, Mn-peroxidase levels were low in the presence of manganese.

3-O-alkyl-D-glucose derivatives induce fruit bodies of Pleurotus ostreatus

Amphipathic glucose derivatives 3-O-octyl- and 3-O-decyl-D-glucose were synthesized, and the ability to induce fruit bodies on Pleurotus ostreatus was examined. Surfactants such as CHAPS, CHAPSO, MEGA-8, MEGA-9, and MEGA-10 were also assayed. The result was that both glucose derivatives could stimulate fruiting on P. ostreatus, while none of the surfactants assayed in this study stimulated the fruiting of P. ostreatus. These results suggest that sugar moiety is necessary for amphipathic compounds to work as a fruiting signal for P. ostreatus.

Highly selective inhibition of human CYP3Aa in vitro by azamulin and evidence that inhibition is irreversible

Azamulin [14-O-(5-(2-amino-1,3,4-triazolyl)thioacetyl)-dihydromutilin] is an azole derivative of the pleuromutilin class of antiinfectives. We tested the inhibition potency of azamulin toward 18 cytochromes P450 using human liver microsomes or microsomes from insect cells expressing single isoforms. In a competitive inhibition model, IC(50) values for CYP3A (0.03-0.24 microM) were at least 100-fold lower than all other non-CYP3A enzymes except CYP2J2 ( approximately 50-fold lower). The IC(50) value with heterologously expressed CYP3A4 was 15-fold and 13-fold less than those of CYP3A5 and CYP3A7, respectively. The reference inhibitor ketoconazole was less selective and exhibited potent inhibition (IC(50) values <10 microM) for CYP1A1, CYP1B1, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP4F2, and CYP4F12. Inhibition of CYP3A by azamulin appeared sigmoidal and well behaved with the substrates 7-benzyloxy-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin, testosterone, and midazolam. Preincubation of 4.8 microM azamulin in the presence of NADPH for 10 min inhibited approximately 95% of testosterone 6beta-hydroxylase activity compared with preincubation in the absence of NADPH. Catalytic activities of CYP1A2, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, and CYP2E1 were unaffected by similar experiments. Incubation of azamulin with heterologously expressed CYP3A4 yielded a type I binding spectrum with a spectral dissociation constant of 3.5 microM, whereas no interaction was found with CYP2D6. Azamulin exhibited good chemical stability when stored in acetonitrile for up to 12 days. Aqueous solubility was found to be >300 microM. Azamulin represents an important new chemical tool for use in characterizing the contribution of CYP3A to the metabolism of xenobiotics.

Beta-adenosine, a bioactive compound in grass chaff stimulating mushroom production

Fructification and yield of the edible mushrooms Pleurotus pulmonarius and Stropharia rugosoannulata are clearly enhanced when wheat straw is supplemented with 30% Lolium perenne grass chaff. The bioactive compound in the methanol extract of grass chaff was identified as beta-adenosine. In vitro biological activity tests showed that 0.012 mg of beta-adenosine per ml of medium stimulated earlier fructification of Pleurotus pulmonarius. Mushroom fruiting trials showed that when 12 mg beta-adenosine was added to 1 kg wet wheat straw, primordia of Pleurotus pulmonarius appeared two days earlier and primordia of Stropharia rugosoannulata appeared 18 days earlier when compared to pure wheat straw substrate. This concentration of beta-adenosine had no impact on the mushroom yield of Pleurotus, but resulted in a 2.2 fold increase in yield for Stropharia. beta-Adenosine at 25 mg per kg wet wheat straw increased the yield of Pleurotus with 52% and the yield of Stropharia with 258%, but this concentration delayed primordial formation in Pleurotus.

Lignocellulose degradation by Pleurotus ostreatus in the presence of cadmium

Activities of cellulolytic and hemicellulolytic enzymes endo-1,4-beta-glucanase, exo-1,4-beta-glucanase, 1,4-beta-glucosidase, endo-1,4-beta-xylanase, 1,4-beta-xylosidase and 1,4-beta-mannosidase and ligninolytic enzymes Mn-peroxidase and laccase were detected during the growth of the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus on wheat straw in the presence and absence of cadmium. The loss of substrate dry weight and Mn-peroxidase activity decreased with increasing Cd concentration, whereas the activities of endo-1,4-beta-glucanase, 1,4-beta-glucosidase and laccase were highly increased in the presence of metal. The onset of hemicellulose-degrading enzyme activity was delayed in the presence of cadmium. The degradation of a model synthetic dye Poly B-411 did not correspond to the activities of ligninolytic enzymes. This is the first report about 1,4-beta-mannosidase in P. ostreatus.

Mn2+ alters peroxidase profiles and lignin degradation by the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus under different nutritional and growth conditions

The white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus produces two types of extracellular peroxidases: manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP) and versatile peroxidase (VP). The effect of Mn2+ on fungal growth, peroxidase activity profiles, and lignin degradation by P. ostreatus was studied in liquid culture and under solid-state fermentation conditions on perlite, the latter resembling the natural growth conditions of this fungus. The fungus was grown in either a defined asparagine-containing basidiomycete selective medium (BSM) or in a rich peptone medium (PM). Biomass production, as determined by respiration experiments in solid-state fermentation and liquid cultures and fungal growth on Petri dishes, was higher in the PM than in the BSM. Mn2+ affected biomass production only in the PM on Petri dishes. In the nonamended PM, high levels of MnP and VP activity were detected relative to the nonamended BSM. Nevertheless, a higher rate of 14C-lignin mineralization was measured in the Mn2+-amended BSM, as determined during the course of 47 d of fermentation. Mn2+ amendment of the PM increased mineralization rate to that obtained in the Mn2+-amended BSM. The enzyme activity profiles of MnP and VP were studied in the BSM using anion-exchange chromatography. In the nonamended BSM, only minute levels of MnP and VP were detected. On Mn2+ amendment, two MnP isoenzymes (B1 and B2) appeared. Isoenzyme B2 was purified and showed 100% identity with the MnP isoenzyme purified in our previous study from PM-solid-state fermentation (P6). P6 was found to be the dominant isoenzyme in terms of activity level and gene expression compared with the VP isoenzymes. Based on these results, we concluded that Mn2+ plays a key role in lignin degradation under different nutritional and growth conditions, since it is required for the production of MnP in P. ostreatus.

Effects of plant-derived naphthoquinones on the growth of Pleurotus sajor-caju and degradation of the compounds by fungal cultures

The growth of the white-rot basidiomycete Pleurotus sajor-caju in malt-agar plates was inhibited by three naturally occurring, plant-derived naphthoquinones: juglone, lawsone, and plumbagin. The latter two compounds exerted the most potent antifungal activity, and lawsone killed the mycelium at concentrations higher than 200 ppm. Plates containing juglone and lawsone presented large decolorized areas extending from area of fungal growth, suggesting an extracellular enzymatic degradation of these quinones. Screening of culture plates for extracellular enzymatic activities revealed the presence of both laccase and veratryl alcohol oxidase in most plates, the diffusion of both enzymes matching the decolorized area. In agitated cultures, the presence of juglone was found to stimulate the production of veratryl alcohol oxidase in a significant manner. This is the first time degradation of plant derived naphthoquinones by a white-rot fungus is reported.

[Studies on lignocellulolytic enzymes production and biomass degradation of Pleurotus sp2 and Trametes gallica in wheat straw cultures]

Pleurotus sp2 and Trametes gallica were selected in this assay because of their high activities of lignocellulolytic enzymes and the enzyme peaks appeared at the early stage of liquid state fermentation. Solid state fermentation was also investigated for their abilities and behaviors of enzyme-production. The capabilities and characteristics of the two strains in degrading biomass were studied. When Pleurotus sp2 was incubated in wheat straw powder containing the liquid medium of low-nitrogen, no-carbon and high inorganic salt, the activities of MnP and Lac reached the peaks on the tenth day, but the activities of hemicellulases reached the peak on the 40th day. Pleurotus sp2 caused 17.6% of biomass loss. When T. gallica was incubated in wheat straw powder containing the liquid medium of hlig-nitrogen, or low-nitrogen, no-carbon and high inorganic salt, the activities of MnP reached the peaks on the tenth day, the lac and hemicelluloses on the 40th day, and the lignin peroxidases reached the peaks on the 50th day, and it caused more than 64% of biomass loss. Among them the hemicellulose was degraded by 71.96%, and the cellulose 66.21%. T. gallica was very capable of degrading lignin of wheat straw and caused 34.37% loss during 20 days, 46. 71% loss during 30 days and 70.14% loss during 60 days. It was interesting that T. gallica degraded lignin preferentially with respect to cellulose, which was very beneficial to biopulping of paper industry.

Stable transformation of Pleurotus ostreatus to hygromycin B resistance using Lentinus edodes GPD expression signals

It was reported that Pleurotus ostreatus was transformed unstably using recombinant plasmids containing a hygromycin B phosphotransferase gene (hph) under the control of Aspergillus nidulans expression signals, and that the plasmids were maintained extrachromosomally in the transformants. Here we report a stable and integrative transformation of the fungus to hygromycin B resistance, using a recombinant hph fused with Lentinus edodes glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase expression signals. Restriction-enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) was also tried and increased the transformation efficiency about ten-fold.

Veratryl alcohol stimulates fruiting body formation in the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus

The oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, cultivated in solid state on sugarcane bagasse-wheat bran (5:1) medium in the presence of veratryl alcohol resulted in an increased production of the fruiting body at earlier times compared to when the fungus was grown in the absence of veratryl alcohol. The results indicate a new physiological role for veratryl alcohol in stimulating fruiting body formation. Veratryl alcohol also stimulated laccase production during the mycelial growth stage. Evidence is also presented that laccases were involved in the physiological development of the fruiting body.

Copper induction of laccase isoenzymes in the ligninolytic fungus Pleurotus ostreatus

Pleurotus ostreatus is a white rot basidiomycete that produces several extracellular laccase isoenzymes, including phenol oxidase A1b (POXA1b), POXA2, and POXC. POXC was the most abundant isoenzyme produced under all of the growth conditions examined in this study. Copper was the most efficient inducer of laccase activity among the putative inducers tested. The amounts of all of the previously described laccase isoenzymes increased substantially in copper-supplemented cultures. Under these conditions expression of POX isoenzymes was regulated at the level of gene transcription. It is worth noting that poxa1b mRNA was the most abundant induced transcript at all of the growth times analyzed, and the amount of this mRNA increased until day 7. The discrepancy between the poxa1b transcript and protein amounts can be explained by the presence of a high level of the protein in P. ostreatus cellular extract, which indicated that the POXA1b isoenzyme could be inefficiently secreted and/or that its physiological activity could occur inside the cell or on the cell wall. Moreover, the POXA1b isoenzyme behaved uniquely, as its activity was maximal on the second day of growth and then decreased. An analysis performed with protease inhibitors revealed that the loss of extracellular POXA1b activity could have been due to the presence of specific proteases secreted into the copper-containing culture medium that affected the extracellular POXA1b isoenzyme.

Carboxin resistance transformation of the homobasidiomycete fungus Pleurotus ostreatus

A novel selection marker gene for transformation of the white-rot basidiomycete Pleurotus ostreatus was developed by introducing a point mutation in a gene which encodes the iron-sulfur protein (Ip) subunit of succinate dehydrogenase. The mutant gene, CbxR, encodes a modified Ip subunit with an amino-acid substitution (His239 to Leu) and confers resistance to the systemic fungicide, carboxin. The DNA sequence was integrated ectopically in the chromosome of the transformants. This is the first report of a homologous marker gene which is available for the molecular breeding of an edible mushroom.

Isolation and transformation of uracil auxotrophs of the edible basidiomycete Pleurotus ostreatus

Uracil auxotrophs of Pleurotus ostreatus were isolated using the selectable marker, resistance to 5'-fluoro-orotic acid (5'-FOA). Two of the nine uracil auxotrophs obtained were transformed to prototrophy using plasmid pTRura 3-2 that contains the orotidine monophosphate decarboxylase (ura3) gene from Trichoderma reesei. Southern blot analyses of the transformants showed that the transforming DNA had integrated into the genome of the protoplasts. Using 2 x 10(7) protoplasts, this system gave a transformation efficiency of about 30 transformants per microg of DNA. Normal fruiting bodies were induced in the transformants by crossing them with wild-type monokaryons, and the basidiospores collected from these fruiting bodies showed a biased segregation rate to prototrophy. These results indicate the integrated DNA was stably inherited.

First chromatographic isolation of an antifungal thaumatin-like protein from French bean legumes and demonstration of its antifungal activity

A protein, with a molecular weight of 20 kDa, and an N-terminal sequence analogous to those of thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) and thaumatins, was first isolated from the legume of the French bean Phaseolus vulgaris cv Kentucky wonder using a simple procedure involving affinity and ion exchange chromatography. The protein was adsorbed on both CM-Sepharose and Affi-gel Blue Gel. It was the first leguminous TLP-like protein demonstrated to exert antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum, Pleurotus ostreatus, and Coprinus comatus but not against Rhizoctonia solani.