Laccase isoenzyme patterns of European Armillaria species from culture filtrates and infected woody plant tissues

Polyacrylamide isoelectric focusing with specific staining for laccase activity was used to characterize laccase from European Armillaria species (Armillaria ostoyae, Armillaria mellea, Armillaria gallica, Armillaria cepistipes). The enzyme was extracted from culture media either supplemented, or not, with pine sawdust, and also from Pinus pinaster naturally infected by A. ostoyae, or artificially inoculated with A. mellea and A. ostoyae. Some differences in banding patterns were found for Armillana isolates according to the species and the culture media, but a common band at pI = 3.4 was found in all the extracts tested, independently of their origin (culture filtrate or wood).