Studies on hypersaline-tolerant white-rot fungi III: biobleaching of unbleached kraft pulp by hypersaline-tolerant manganese peroxidase from a marine white rot isolate, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Phlebia </Emphasis>sp. MG-60

 A marine white rot isolate, Phlebia sp. MG-60, secreted lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese peroxidase (MnP), and laccase under different sea salt incubation conditions. Its MnP production was strongly enhanced by adding 3% sea salts, and the MnP showed high tolerance to sea salts and NaCl. The crude enzyme secreted at 3% sea salt concentration by Phlebia sp. MG-60, in which the main component was MnP (cMnP), was then used to bleach unbleached hardwood kraft pulp (UKP) in vitro. The pulp was brightened 11 points by 4 U of cMnP, and the kappa number was decreased 6 points when only 0.5 mM H₂O₂ was added continuously. When 0.5 mM H₂O₂ (1.22 mg H₂O₂ /g pulp) was added at the initial bleaching, the pulp brightness increased 6 points with a dosage of 4 U of cMnP. When crude MnPs were employed to bleach UKP with organic-free model white-water instead of the Milli Q water usually used, the pulp was brightened 10 and 13 points by 4 and 20 U of cMnP, respectively, and 5 and 6 points by 4 and 20 U of MnP, respectively, of Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Received: September 28, 2001 / Accepted: March 15, 2002 Correspondence to:R. Kondo