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Isolation and screening of wood-decaying fungi for lignocellulolytic enzyme production and bioremediation processes

Summary

Researchers isolated wood-decaying fungi from forests in Latvia to identify species that produce powerful enzymes capable of breaking down complex plant materials. These enzymes have practical applications in cleaning contaminated water, treating textile industry waste, and converting plant biomass into useful products. The study found that certain environmental fungi, particularly Trametes pubescens, produced enzymes at levels exceeding those of commercially used strains, suggesting they could be valuable tools for environmental cleanup and industrial processes.

Background

Wood-decaying fungi possess remarkable capacity to degrade complex plant materials through production of lignocellulolytic enzymes. These fungi have gained attention for biotechnological applications including biomass conversion, biofuel production, and wastewater treatment.

Objective

To isolate and screen environmental fungal isolates from boreal coniferous and nemoral deciduous forests for lignocellulolytic enzyme production capabilities and assess their potential for biotechnological applications including bioremediation.

Results

Environmental isolates, particularly Trametes pubescens and Cerrena unicolor, achieved over 98% Congo Red decolorization and up to 99.79% Azure B removal within 336 hours. T. pubescens exhibited exceptional laccase activity exceeding 208 U/mL, while Fomitopsis pinicola demonstrated the highest cellulase activity at 107 U/L. Previously undescribed species like Peniophora cinerea and Cladosporium pseudocladosporioides also showed promising enzyme production.

Conclusion

Environmental isolates from temperate forests demonstrated superior lignocellulolytic enzyme production compared to commercial strains, with potential applications in biomass conversion, wastewater treatment, textile dye removal, and environmental remediation. Novel candidates were identified for efficient enzyme production with broad biotechnological applications.
  • Published in:Frontiers in Fungal Biology,
  • Study Type:Experimental Research,
  • Source: PMID: 39749140, PMCID: PMC11693747
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