Extracellular peroxidase reaction at hyphal tips of white-rot fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phanerochaete crassa</Emphasis> WD1694 and in fungal slime

The distribution of an extracellular peroxidase reaction by white-rot fungus Phanerochaete crassa WD1694 was visualized by peroxidase activity staining. The extracellular peroxidase reaction occurred at the hyphal tips and in the fungal slime filling the gaps between the hyphae. We investigated whether the peroxidase reaction occurred from the hyphal tips or in the slime. The hyphal tips were observed by phase-contrast microscopy, which showed that slime did not exist around the hyphal tips. Time-course observation of hyphal tips showed that peroxidase staining became thick and intense at the tips that did not have fungal slime. Daily observation of the peroxidase staining revealed that the staining was first observed at the hyphal tips. Furthermore, strongly stained hyphae were observed in the stained slime. These results suggested that an active species that oxidizes a peroxidase substrate is first produced at the tips of the hyphae, and then occurs in the slime via diffusion when slime exists around the hyphae. Our results show that the extracellular peroxidase reaction that is important to lignin biodegradation by white-rot fungi occurs directly at the tips of the hyphae and in the slime. Part of this report was presented at the 50th Lignin Symposium, October 19–20, 2005, Nagoya, Japan     

Selective staining and visualization of hyphal sheath of a white-rot fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phanerochaete crassa</Emphasis> WD1694 with phloxine B

The hyphal sheath is a morphological feature of many kinds of fungi. Although the fine structures of the sheath have been studied in detail by a number of electron microscopy techniques, the function and physiology of the hyphal sheath are not yet clarified. One reason for this is that the hyphal sheath is a colorless, mucilaginous, and delicate material so that it is not easily identified. We developed a simple method to visualize and identify the hyphal sheath of the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete crassa WD1694. The small mycelial pellets in shaken liquid cultures of P. crassa WD1694 were stained directly with phloxine B. Both the hyphae and the hyphal sheath that filled the gaps between each of the hyphae were visualized and observed by light microscopy. The stained hyphae were further studied by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and fl uorescence microscopy. Based on these observations, we confirmed that the staining of the hyphae was also due to the presence of the hyphal sheath that closely covered the fungal cell wall. These results clearly showed that the hyphal sheath was selectively stained with phloxine B and could be observed and identified by conventional light microscopy. Part of this report was presented at the 50th Lignin Symposium, Nagoya, October 2005     

Glyoxal oxidase supplies hydrogen peroxide at hyphal tips and on hyphal wall to manganese peroxidase of white-rot fungus Phanerochaete crassa WD1694

Peroxidase activity staining localized at hyphal tips of white-rot fungus Phanerochaete crassa WD1694 that was cultivated in a shaken liquid culture containing unbleached kraft pulp was investigated. Manganese peroxidase was detected in culture solution, washing solution of mycelium, and mycelial extract. Glyoxal oxidase was detected only in mycelial extract and was not detected in culture solution. Addition of hydrogen peroxide generated peroxidase activity staining in the culture solution. Addition of catalase resulted in no staining in the culture of P. crassa WD1694, and the addition of methylglyoxal resulted in marked peroxidase activity staining at hyphal tips and on hyphal wall. In an optimized culture, glyoxal oxidase was produced in culture solution. Although the production of glyoxal oxidase and manganese peroxidase had a positive correlation, the secretion and the peak of glyoxal oxidase was observed 3 and 2 days later than those of manganese peroxidase. The N-terminal sequence of purified glyoxal oxidase had very high homology with that of P. chrysosporium. These results elucidated the hydrogen peroxide supply system in lignin biodegradation by white-rot fungi, i.e., while remaining on the hyphal cell wall, glyoxal oxidase provides hydrogen peroxide to manganese peroxidase that had diffused into the culture solution beforehand.     

Biobleaching of unbleached and oxygen-bleached hardwood kraft pulp by culture filtrate containing manganese peroxidase and lignin peroxidase fromPhanerochaete chrysosporium

Unbleached and oxygen-bleached hardwood kraft pulp (UKP and OKP), respectively, were bleached with a culture filtrate containing manganese peroxidase (MnP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP) fromPhanerochaete chrysosporium Burds. The brightness increases of UKP upon biobleaching with the culture filtrate with and without MnSO₄ were the same. The brightness increase of OKP with MnSO₄ decreased to about half that seen without MnSO₄. Changes in the brightness of UKP and OKP by treatment with the culture filtrate were determined. The brightness increased sharply by about eight points during the first 3h. The 3-h treatment was repeated seven times. The brightness increased linearly with the bleaching of UKP. On bleaching of OKP, the brightness increased slowly and stopped at about 78%.Part of this report was presented at the 62nd Pulp and Paper Research Conference of the Japan Tappi, Tokyo, June 1995     

Iron-binding compounds produced by white-rot fungusPhanerochaete sordida YK-624

Iron-binding compounds were isolated from a culture ofPhanerochaete sordida YK-624 and were found to bind to Fe(III) preferentially compared with Fe(II). Two iron-binding compounds were purified to near-homogeneity with gel permeation chromatography. Hydrolysis of the iron-binding compounds with 6N hydrochloric acid gave ninhydrin-negative products. The molecular weight of these compounds was 3–5 kDa. These compounds may play an important role in the reduction of extracellular manganese dioxide to Mn(II) by intracellular ferrireductases for lignin degradation by manganese peroxidase.     

In vitro reduction of manganese dioxide by a ferrireductase system from the white-rot fungus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phanerochaete sordida</Emphasis> YK-624

Reduction of manganese dioxide is demonstrated for an in vitro ferrireductase system that includes NADPH-dependent ferrireductase and the iron-binding compound (IBC) isolated from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624. The Fe(II)–IBC complex was more effective in reducing manganese dioxide to Mn(II) than were complexes of Fe(II) and organic acids of low molecular weight such as nitrilotriacetate, although IBC also reduced manganese dioxide to Mn(II) in the absence of Fe(II). The generated Fe(III)–IBC complex was a better substrate for NADPH-dependent ferrireductase than were other ferric chelates, suggesting that the Fe(III)–IBC complex is reduced to an Fe(II) complex by NADPH-dependent ferrireductase. Moreover, production of the Fe(III)–IBC complex by the reduction of manganese dioxide in a reaction system containing Fe(II) and IBC was observed to be coupled to reduction of the Fe(III)–IBC complex by NADPH-dependent ferrireductase. These results indicate that the ferrireductase system of P. sordida YK-624 plays an important role in the reduction of manganese dioxide, which is necessary for the production and function of manganese peroxidase.     

Change in oxidation state of manganese atoms in kraft pulp during biological bleaching with white-rot fungusPhanerochaete sordida YK-624

Change in the oxidation state of manganese atoms in unbleached hardwood kraft pulp (UKP) during the biological bleaching of UKP withPhanerochaete sordida YK-624 was determined by the electron spin resonance (ESR) method. The spectrum of Mn(II), which reveals hyperfine splitting, was not observed in the ESR analysis of UKP, but the spectrum for manganese dioxide was observed. After fungal treatment of UKP withP. sordida YK-624, the spectrum of Mn(II) was detected. The reduction of manganese dioxide was triggered by the increase in NADPH-dependent ferrireductase activity. It is concluded that the manganese dioxide dominant in UKP was reduced byP. sordida YK-624 to Mn(II), which stimulates the production and function of manganese peroxidase.     

Reaction of manganese peroxidase ofBjerkandera adusta with synthetic lignin in acetone solution

The reaction of manganese peroxidase (MnP) of the white-rot fungusBjerkandera adusta with synthetic lignin dehydrogenation polymer, DHP) in acetone medium was investigated. Gel-permeation chromatography of the DHP treated by MnP demonstrated depolymerization of syringyl DHP in the reaction mixture containing 70% acetone; moreover, concomitant repolymerization occurred to give highly polymerized products. Guaiacyl DHP was only repolymerized by MnP in the same acetone solution without giving degradation products. Addition of ascorbic acid to reaction mixtures containing acetone resulted in preferential depolymerization of syringyl DHP.Part of this report was presented at the meeting of Kansai Branch, Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry in Kagawa, October 1996     

Isolation and sequence analysis of the promoter and an allelic sequence of the iron-sulfur protein subunit gene from the white-rot fungusPleurotus ostreatus

We have isolated a structural gene ofsdil, which encodes the iron-sulfur protein (Ip) subunit of succinate dehydrogenase (EC 1.3.99.1), from a white-rot basidiomycete,Pleurotus ostreatus. Here we report isolation of the promoter region ofsdil and an allelic sequence encoding the second-type cDNA fragment isolated in the former experiments. The nucleotide sequence analysis of the promoter region revealed the existence of putative CAAT and TATA boxes, which permits us to develop an expression system in this species. The Southern blot analysis and the restriction fragment length polymorphism assay using monokaryotic strains demonstrated that no family genes tosdil exist in the haploid genome ofP. ostreatus. Moreover, a genetic analysis to detect a linkage between thesdil genotypes and flutolanil resistance in the mutantP. ostreatus strains was also developed.     

Hybrid aspen with a transgene for fungal manganese peroxidase is a potential contributor to phytoremediation of the environment contaminated with bisphenol A

To assess the possible utility of a fungal gene for manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP) produced by a transgenic plant in phytoremediation, we transformed hybrid aspen with a chimeric gene for MnP. Our gene construct allowed expression of the gene for MnP in plants and relatively high MnP activity was detected in the hydroponic medium in which roots of plants that expressed the transgene had been cultured. Some of our transgenic plants were able to remove bisphenol A from the medium more efficiently than wild-type plants. Our results demonstrate that, without any modification of the coding sequence, a chimeric gene for fungal MnP can be expressed in a woody plant, with secretion of active MnP from roots into the rhizosphere. Our strategy suggests new options using woody plants for phytoremediation.     

Urease activity in soil as a factor affecting the succession of ammonia fungi

We studied the activity of urease in soils of Castanopsis cuspidata, Quercus serrata, and Chamaecyparis obtusa forests in western Japan to determine why succession of ammonia fungi takes place synchronously on soils treated simultaneously with the same level of urea among different vegetation types regardless of the time of year that the treatments are conducted. The activity was determined by the amount of urea remaining after urea addition and incubation on three soil layers, O, A, and B, on nine occasions. As a result, we found that the activity was significantly the highest in the O layer, that it did not differ according to vegetation type, and that it did not change through sampling occasions. The results indicate that the O layer is strongly implicated in generating favorable conditions for ammonia fungus proliferation by its overwhelming ability to decompose urea to ammonia. In soils treated simultaneously with urea, it appears that the ammonium-N concentration increases in similar patterns among different types of vegetation and at different times of the year.     

Substituent effects of 3,5-disubstituted p-coumaryl alcohols on their oxidation using horseradish peroxidase–H2O2 as the oxidant

The consumption rates of three monolignols (p-coumaryl, coniferyl, and sinapyl alcohols) and eight analogues using horseradish peroxidase (HRP)–H₂O₂ as an oxidant were measured and compared with the anodic peak potentials thereof measured with cyclic voltammetry. 3-Monosubstituted p-coumaryl alcohols, i.e., 3-methoxy-, 3-ethoxy-, 3-n-propoxy-, and 3-n-butoxy-p-coumaryl alcohols, had faster reaction rates than p-coumaryl alcohol. This is most probably due to the electron-donating effect of alkoxyl groups. However, the reaction rates gradually decreased with an increase in the molecular weight of the alkoxyl groups. Furthermore, t-butoxyl group, which is a very bulky substituent, caused an extreme reduction in the reaction rate, even though its electron-donating effect was almost the same as that of other alkoxyl groups. The reaction rates of 3,5-disubstituted p-coumaryl alcohols, especially 3,5-dimethyl-p-coumaryl alcohol, were very low compared with 3-monosubstituted p-coumaryl alcohols. These results suggest that there are three main factors of hindrance during the approach of monolignols to the active site of HRP. First, from the results of 3-monoalkoxy-p-coumaryl alcohols, it was suggested that the volume of substituents could decrease their oxidation rates. Second, from the results of 3,5-disubstituted p-coumaryl alcohols, it was suggested that local steric hindrance by the amino residues quite near the heme decreased the oxidation rates. Third, from the results of the substrates with hydrophobic substituents at their 3,5-positions, we suggested that hydrophilicity near heme would decrease their oxidation rates.     

Changes in levels of endogenous plant hormones in cambial regions of stems ofLarix kaempferi at the onset of cambial activity in springtime

The total amounts of endogenous indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), cytokinins, and abscisic acid (ABA) were quantified by gas chromatography-selected ion monitoring-mass spectrometry (GC-SIM-MS) in cambial regions of the main stems ofLarix kaempferi during the spring season. During the sampling period, cambium in the dormant state entered the active meristematic state. The total amount of IAA did not change at the onset of cambial reactivation but increased when the active division of cambial cells became apparent. Four cytokinins —trans- andcis-ribosylzeatin (RZ),N ⁶-isopentenyladenine (iP),N ⁶-isopentenyladenosine (iPA) — were quantified, but no zeatin (Z) was detected. The total amount of the four cytokinins together and the total amount of isopentenyl-type cytokinins (iP and iPA) varied during the sampling period but did not appear to be specifically associated with cambial activity. The total amounts oftrans- andcis-RZ remained relatively constant during the sampling period, as did the total amount of ABA. The results suggest that there is little correlation between total amounts of endogenous plant hormones in the cambial region and reactivation of the cambium during the spring.