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Environmental bisphenol F (BPF) has a cyclic endocrine disruption effect, seriously threatening animal and human health. It is frequently detected in environmental samples worldwide. For BPF remediation, biological methods are more environmentally friendly than physicochemical methods. White-rot fungi have been increasingly studied due to their potential capability to degrade environmental pollutants. Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 has been shown to degrade BPF by ligninolytic enzymes under ligninolytic conditions. In the present study, degradation of BPF under non-ligninolytic conditions (no production of ligninolytic enzymes) was investigated. Our results showed that BPF could be completely removed after 7-d incubation. A metabolite of BPF, 4,4'-dihydroxybenzophenone (DHBP) was identified by mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance, and DHBP was further degraded by this fungus to form 4-hydroxyphenyl 4-hydroxybenzoate (HPHB). DHBP and HPHB were the intermediate metabolites of BPF and would be further degraded by P. sordida YK-624. We also found that cytochrome P450s played an important role in BPF degradation. Additionally, transcriptomic analysis further supported the involvement of these enzymes in the action of BPF degradation. Therefore, BPF is transformed to DHBP and then to HPHB likely oxidized by cytochrome P450s in P. sordida YK-624. Furthermore, the toxicological studies demonstrated that the order of endocrine-disrupting activity for BPF and its metabolites was HPHB BPF DHBP. KEY POINTS: • White-rot fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 could degrade BPF. • Cytochrome P450s were involved in the BPF degradation. • The order of endocrine disrupting activity was: HPHB BPF DHBP.

Phlebia radiata is a widespread white-rot basidiomycete fungus with significance in diverse biotechnological applications due to its ability to degrade aromatic compounds, xenobiotics, and lignin using an assortment of oxidative enzymes including laccase. In this work, a chemical screen with 480 conditions was conducted to identify chemical inducers of laccase expression in P. radiata. Among the chemicals tested, phenothiazines were observed to induce laccase activity in P. radiata, with promethazine being the strongest laccase inducer of the phenothiazine-derived compounds examined. Secretomes produced by promethazine-treated P. radiata exhibited increased laccase protein abundance, increased enzymatic activity, and an enhanced ability to degrade phenolic model lignin compounds. Transcriptomics analyses revealed that promethazine rapidly induced the expression of genes encoding lignin-degrading enzymes, including laccase and various oxidoreductases, showing that the increased laccase activity was due to increased laccase gene expression. Finally, the generality of promethazine as an inducer of laccases in fungi was demonstrated by showing that promethazine treatment also increased laccase activity in other relevant fungal species with known lignin conversion capabilities including Trametes versicolor and Pleurotus ostreatus.

In this study, major factors involved in regulating ethanol production from wood by the saprotrophic white-rot fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 were investigated. P. sordida YK-624 produced ethanol from wood meal culture without the addition of any nutrients, and ethanol was produced from wood culture only when the oxygen concentration in headspace was reduced to ≤5%; thereafter, ethanol production ceased within a few days. Analyses of gene expression during aerobic incubation indicated that P. sordida simultaneously upregulates the glycolytic pathway from sugar uptake to pyruvate conversion during ethanol fermentation and suppresses pyruvate influx into the TCA cycle. Upon termination of ethanol fermentation, the expression of all tested genes was repressed, and the fungus ceased to grow. In contrast, the fungus could utilize ethanol for aerobic growth. These results suggest that ethanol fermentation by P. sordida functions as a short-term stress response system under anaerobic conditions during wood decay, enabling the fungus to rapidly resume growing when oxygen is supplied (e.g., following breakdown of plant cell walls or removal of the fungus from water immersion). This is the first report to describe the physiologic significance of ethanol fermentation in saprotrophic white-rot fungi.

Cocultivation of fungi and algae can result in a mutualistic or antagonistic interaction depending on the species involved and the cultivation conditions. In this study, we investigated the growth behavior and enzymatic activity of two filamentous white-rot fungi (Trametes versicolor and Trametes pubescens) and two freshwater algae (Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus vacuolatus) cocultured in the presence of TEMPO (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl radical) oxidized cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC). The growth of fungi and algae was studied in liquid, agar medium, and 3D-printed nanocellulose hydrogels. The results showed that cocultures grew faster under nutrient-rich conditions than in nutrient-depleted conditions. Key cellulose-degrading enzymes, including endoglucanase and laccase activities, were higher in liquid cocultures of T. versicolor and S. vacuolatus in the presence of cellulose compared to single cultures of fungi or algae. Although similar results were observed for cocultures of T. pubescens and C. vulgaris, laccase production diminished over time in these cultures. Fungi and algae were capable of growth in 3D-printed cellulose hydrogels. These results showed that cellulase enzyme production could be enhanced by cocultivating white-rot fungi with freshwater algae under nutrient-rich conditions with TEMPO-CNF and CNC. Additionally, the growth of white-rot fungi and freshwater algae in printed cellulose hydrogels demonstrates the potential use of fungi and algae in hydrogel systems for biotechnological applications, including biofuel production and bio-based fuel cell components., Microbiology Spectrum, 10 (5), ISSN:2165-0497

Made available in DSpace on 2021-06-25T10:14:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-01-01 Nowadays, countries produce approximately 1700 million tons of sugarcane per year. However, many countries now find it difficult to produce sufficient energy, generating a relevant socioeconomic impact. The objective of this work is to study the potential energy of sugarcane bagasse after decomposing fungus process. This fungus, the basidiomycete Pleurotus ostreatus, acts in the bioconversion of lignocellulosic residues, through the decomposition of the solid substrate in a process of enzymatic catalysis. The activation energy, Ea, varied from 12 to 145 kJ/mol, and the calorific value and the fixed carbon obtained were 21 MJ/kg and 82.4%, respectively, values considered acceptable for a solid biofuel. In the results of the enzymatic analysis performed through the laccase secretion and manganese peroxidase (MnP), measured by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique (FT-IR), it is possible to identify when there was degradation of the lignin due to the methoxy group (CH3) elongation. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed partially fragmented structures, which occurred due to catalysis and pyrolysis processes, respectively. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]. Institute of Science and Technology São Paulo State University (UNESP) “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – Sorocaba Campus, Av. Três de Março, 511, Alto da Boa Vista, Sorocaba Department of Forest Engineering UFSCar – Federal University of São Carlos/Sorocaba Campus, Road João Leme dos Santos, km 110, SP –264, Bairro do Itinga ProMetheus – Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo Institute of Science and Technology São Paulo State University (UNESP) “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” – Sorocaba Campus, Av. Três de Março, 511, Alto da Boa Vista, Sorocaba

International audience; Second-generation ethanol process uses lignocellulose, but a pre-treatment is required to degrade lignin before saccharification. Biological pre-treatment, using phenoloxidases, represents a cheap and ecofriendly option. Mould contamination can be overcome by heat pre-conditioning of substrates. Pasteurisation can be a mild and sustainable option. A 5-level response-surface experimental design was performed to test the effect of different time and temperatures on lignocellulolytic activities and substrate dephenolisation. Substrate microbial communities were characterised via catabolic profiles to determine functional diversity changes after pasteurisation. Temperatures ranging from 70 to 75 C and time from 5 to 10 h led to the highest laccase activities and 30% of substrate dephenolisation was achieved while avoiding mould contamination. The per cent of O-Alkyl (polysaccharides) did not vary significantly, meaning that polysaccharides were not extensively consumed. Microbial communities were less catabolically diversified (H' ¼ 1.2) but more active (AWCD ¼ 0.9) and could degrade polysaccharides.

Soil invertebrates and microorganisms are two major drivers of litter decomposition. Even though the importance of invertebrates and microorganisms in biogeochemical soil cycles and soil food webs has been studied, the effects of invertebrates on fungi are not well understood compared to other organisms. In this work, we investigated the effects of soil invertebrates on fungi as a factor that cannot be ignored in the study of nutrient cycling. The result showed the grazing of isopods on white-rot fungi was transitive and persistent. The grazed fungi appeared “compensatory” growing. The biomass of fungi increased after grazing. The activities of enzymes associated with nutrient cycling were increased under grazing. The zymography images showed the enzyme hotspots and activities also increased significantly in the grazing area. The results suggest that invertebrate grazing can significantly increase the fungal biomass and enzyme activity, accelerating litter decomposition in the unreached grazer area. The grazing effects of invertebrate plays an important role in promoting the nutrient cycling of the forest ecosystem. We believe that this study will be a good reference related to showing the relationship between soil invertebrates, fungi and soil biogeochemical cycles.

This study aimed at the exploitation of lignocellulosic wastes for the evaluation of the newly isolated white-rot fungal strains enzymatic potential for bioethanol production. The isolates belonging to Basidiomycetes, Fomes fomentarius TMF2, Schizophyllum commune TMF3, and Bjerkandera adusta TMF1, could synthesize extracellular laccase and various hydrolase while growing on lignocellulosic waste materials. More specifically, for the first time, F. fomentarius TMF2 synthesized laccase using sunflower meal as a substrate. This substrate could stimulate B. adusta TMF1 for carboxymethyl cellulase and Avicelase production. The isolate B. adusta TMF1 was able to produce amylase during its growth on brewerʼs spent grain, which is up to now the best result reported for this activity of any B. adusta strain. Soybean meal was the most potent substrate for stimulating pectinase production by B. adusta TMF1 and S. commune TMF3. While growing on brewerʼs spent grain, B. adusta TMF1 and S. commune TMF3 produced high levels of xylanase. Spent coffee residues were for the first time tested as a substrate for hydrolase production by selected fungal species. Also, this is the first attempt where the produced enzymes by isolate B. adusta TMF1 were used for lignocellulose hydrolysis of brewerʼs spent grain and corn stover for bioethanol production, where under non- optimized conditions 0.94 g/L and 0.86 g/L of bioethanol could be produced, respectively. This study showed that novel white-rot fungal isolates, especially B. adusta TMF1, could grow on unexploited, low-cost lignocellulosic substrates and to produce biotechnological value-added products within environmental and economical accepted processes.

Background While mycelium is considered a promising alternative for fossil-based resins in lignocellulosic materials, the mechanical properties of mycelium composite materials remain suboptimal, among other reasons due to the weak internal bonds between the hyphae and the natural fibres. A solution could be provided by the hybridisation of mycelium materials with organic additives. More specifically, bacterial cellulose seems to be a promising additive that could result in reinforcing mycelium composites; however, this strategy is underreported in scientific literature. Results In this study, we set out to investigate the mechanical properties of mycelium composites, produced with the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor, and supplemented with bacterial cellulose as an organic additive. A methodological framework is developed for the facile production of bacterial cellulose and subsequent fabrication of mycelium composite particle boards based on a hybrid substrate consisting of bacterial cellulose and hemp in combination with a heat-pressing approach. We found that, upon adding bacterial cellulose, the internal bond of the composite particle boards significantly improved. Conclusions The addition of bacterial cellulose to mycelium composite materials not only results in a strengthening of internal bonding of mycelium material, but also renders tuneable mechanical properties to the material. As such, this study contributes to the ongoing development of fully biological hybrid materials with performant mechanical characteristics.

Three wood-inhabiting fungal species, Xylodon laceratus, X. montanus, and X. tropicus spp. nov., were collected from southern China, here proposed as new taxa based on a combination of morphological features and molecular evidence. Xylodon laceratus is characterized by the resupinate basidiomata with grandinioid hymenophore having cracked hymenial surface, and ellipsoid basidiospores; X. montanus is characterized by the annual basidiomata having the hard, brittle hymenophore with cream hymenial surface, and ellipsoid to broadly ellipsoid basidiospores (3.9–5.3 × 3.2–4.3 µm); and X. tropicus is characterized by its grandinioid hymenophore with buff to a pale brown hymenial surface and subglobose basidiospores measuring 2–4.8 × 1.6–4 µm. Sequences of ITS and nLSU rRNA markers of the studied samples were generated, and phylogenetic analyses were performed with maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony, and Bayesian inference methods. The ITS+nLSU analysis of the order Hymenochaetales indicated that the three new species clustered into the family Schizoporaceae, located in genus Xylodon; based on further analysis of ITS dataset, X. laceratus was a sister to X. heterocystidiatus; X. montanus closely grouped with X. subclavatus and X. xinpingensis with high support; while X. tropicus was retrieved as a sister to X. hastifer.

In the Catalan area (Spain), diuron and bentazon are extensively used to control weeds and are therefore abundant in agricultural drainage. White-rot fungi have a high potential for removing these contaminants because of a potent and nonsubstrate-specific lignin-degrading enzyme system. Unfortunately, bacterial contamination hinders practical application of fungal treatment. In this study, a trickle bed reactor (TBR) containing Trametes versicolor immobilized on oak wood was used to treat spiked nonsterile agricultural wastewater. The TBR was operated for 186 days in continuous mode at different recirculation rates. The TBR exhibited stable and promising performance, with an average removal of diuron and bentazon of up to 80% and 67%, respectively, at steady state. The lignocellulosic carrier was the only carbon resource used for the immobilized biomass throughout the entire operation period and effectively suppressed bacterial growth. Adsorption of the contaminants on oak wood was also an important contribution to pesticide removal. The constructed system exhibited persistent fungal activity and high robustness to adverse impacts regarding clogging, based on pesticides removal, laccase activity, ergosterol quantity and scanning electron microscopy analysis. This study demonstrates the concept of long-term fungal treatment and paves the way to full-scale application., This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness State Research Agency (CTM2016-75587-C2-1-R) and co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). This work was partly supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidate Research Group 2017-SGR-0014). K. Hu acknowledges the financial support from China Scholarship Council (CSC No. 201706910092).

The utilization of rice straw for biofuel production is limited by its composition. The pretreatment process is required to improve the enzymatic accessibility of polysaccharides in the biomass prior to enzymatic saccharification. In this study, simultaneous biological pretreatment and saccharification (SPS) of rice straw starting from laccase production by Panus neostrigosus I9 was operated in a 2-L fermenter. It was found that fungal physiology was strongly influenced by the agitation, and that the highest laccase production was obtained at an agitation speed of 750 rpm (209.96 ± 0.34 U/L). The dilution rate of 0.05 h−1 was set in continuous fermentation which resulted in laccase activity of 678.49 ± 20.39 U/L, approximately three times higher than that in batch culture. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to achieve the condition for maximum percentage of delignification. The maximum percentage of delignification of 45.55% was accomplished after pretreatment of rice straw with laccase enzyme 39.40 U/g rice straw at 43.70 °C for 11.19 h. Reducing sugar of 3.85 ± 0.15 g/L was obtained from the digested rice straw in a SPS reactor, while non-pretreated rice straw gave only 1.13 ± 0.10 g/L within 12 h of incubation. The results indicated that simultaneous biological pretreatment and saccharification (SPS) of rice straw by laccase helped to improve the accessibility of cellulose by cellulolytic enzymes.

Acacia spp. are invasive in Southern Europe, and their high propagation rates produce excessive biomass, exacerbating wildfire risk. However, lignocellulosic biomass from Acacia spp. may be utilised for diverse biorefinery applications. In this study, attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), high-performance anion-exchange chromatography pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD) and lignin content determinations were used for a comparative compositional characterisation of A. dealbata, A. longifolia and A. melanoxylon. Additionally, biomass was treated with three white-rot fungi species (Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes versicolor), which preferentially degrade lignin. Our results showed that the pre-treatments do not significantly alter neutral sugar composition while reducing lignin content. Sugar release from enzymatic saccharification was enhanced, in some cases possibly due to a synergy between white-rot fungi and mild alkali pretreatments. For example, in A. dealbata stems treated with alkali and P. ostreatus, saccharification yield was 702.3 nmol mg−1, which is higher than the samples treated only with alkali (608.1 nmol mg−1), and 2.9-fold higher than the non-pretreated controls (243.9 nmol mg−1). By characterising biomass and pretreatments, generated data creates value for unused biomass resources, contributing to the implementation of sustainable biorefining systems. In due course, the generated value will lead to economic incentives for landowners to cut back invasive Acacia spp. more frequently, thus reducing excess biomass, which exacerbates wildfire risk.

Creosote oil, a byproduct of coal distillation, is primarily composed of aromatic compounds that are difficult to degrade, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, phenolic compounds, and N-, S-, and O-heterocyclic compounds. Despite its toxicity and carcinogenicity, it is still often used to impregnate wood, which has a particularly negative impact on the condition of the soil in plants that impregnate wooden materials. Therefore, a rapid, effective, and eco-friendly technique for eliminating the creosote in this soil must be developed. The research focused on obtaining a preparation of Bjerkandera adusta DSM 3375 mycelium immobilized in polyurethane foam (PUF). It contained mold cells in the amount of 1.10 ± 0.09 g (DW)/g of the carrier. The obtained enzyme preparation was used in the bioremediation of soil contaminated with creosote (2% w/w). The results showed that applying the PUF-immobilized mycelium of B. adusta DSM 3375 over 5, 10, and 15 weeks of bioremediation, respectively, removed 19, 30, and 35% of creosote from the soil. After 15 weeks, a 73, 79, and 72% level of degradation of fluoranthene, pyrene, and fluorene, respectively, had occurred. The immobilized cells have the potential for large-scale study, since they can degrade creosote oil in soil.

Arundo donax, Cortaderia selloana and Phragmites australis are high-biomass-producing perennial Poalean species that grow abundantly and spontaneously in warm temperate regions, such as in Mediterranean-type climates, like those of Southern Europe, Western United States coastal areas, or in regions of South America, South Africa and Australia. Given their vigorous and spontaneous growth, biomass from the studied grasses often accumulates excessively in unmanaged agro-forestry areas. Nonetheless, this also creates the demand and opportunity for the valorisation of these biomass sources, particularly their cell wall polymers, for biorefining applications. By contrast, a related crop, Miscanthus × giganteus, is a perennial grass that has been extensively studied for lignocellulosic biomass production, as it can grow on low-input agricultural systems in colder climates. In this study Fourier transform mid-infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high-performance anion-exchange chromatography (HPAEC) and lignin content determinations were used for a comparative compositional characterisation of A. donax, C. selloana and P. australis harvested from the wild, in relation to a trial field-grown M. × giganteus high-yielding genotype. A high-throughput saccharification assay showed relatively high sugar release values from the wild-grown grasses, even with a 0.1M NaOH mild alkali pretreatment. In addition to this alkaline pretreatment, biomass was treated with white-rot fungi (WRF), which preferentially degrade lignin more readily than holocellulose. Three fungal species were used: Ganoderma lucidum, Pleurotus ostreatus and Trametes versicolor. Our results showed that neutral sugar contents are not significantly altered, while some lignin is lost during the pretreatments. Furthermore, sugar release upon enzymatic saccharification was enhanced, and this was dependent on the plant biomass and fungal species used in the treatment. To maximise the potential for lignocellulose valorisation, the liquid fractions from the pretreatments were analysed by high performance liquid chromatography – photodiode array detection – electrospray ionisation tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-PDA-ESI-MSn). This study is one of the first to report on the composition of WRF-treated grass biomass, while assessing the potential relevance of breakdown products released during the treatments, beyond more traditional sugar-for-energy applications. Ultimately, we expect that our data will help promote the valorisation of unused biomass resources, create economic value, while contributing to the implementation of sustainable biorefining systems.

The goals of the present study were to characterize the profile of ligninolytic enzymes in five Pleurotus species and determine their ability to delignify eight common agro-forestry residues. Generally, corn stalks were the optimal inducer of Mn-dependent peroxidase activity, but the activity peak was noted after wheat straw fermentation by P. eryngii (3066.92 U/L). P. florida was the best producer of versatile peroxidase, especially on wheat straw (3028.41 U/L), while apple sawdust induced the highest level of laccase activity in P. ostreatus (49601.82 U/L). Efficiency of the studied enzymes was expressed in terms of substrate dry matter loss, which was more substrate-than species-dependent. Reduction of substrate dry mass ranged between 24.83% in wheat straw and 8.83% in plum sawdust as a result of fermentation with P. florida and P. pulmonarius, respectively. The extent of delignification of the studied substrates was different, ranging from 51.97% after wheat straw fermentation by P. pulmonarius to 4.18% in grapevine sawdust fermented by P. ostreatus. P. pulmonarius was also characterized by the highest cellulose enrichment (6.54) and P. ostreatus by very low one (1.55). The tested biomass is a highly abundant but underutilized source of numerous value-added products, and a cocktail of ligninolytic enzymes of Pleurotus spp. could be useful for its environmentally and economically friendly transformation.

Compounds of plant origin showing antioxidative activity are important due to their ability to decrease oxidative stress. They also protect against the harmful effects of the free radicals formed as by-products of some metabolic pathways or as external factors. This supports the application of these compounds (e.g., vitamin C) as additives of food, pharmaceuticals (vitamin E, curcumin, etc.), and cosmetics (e.g., ellagic acid). Natural antioxidants are mainly isolated from plant sources, but besides these, novel, effective, and “green” methods of obtaining antioxidative compounds are being investigated. One of the natural antioxidants is resveratrol belonging to the stilbene polyphenol family. It occurs naturally in grape, and is produced by cells in response to fungal infections or a potential stress factor (e.g., tissue damage). The beneficial effect of resveratrol is based on the inhibition of lipid oxidation and cardioprotective properties. The biocatalyzed synthesis of O-methylated derivatives of resveratrol is especially interesting from the point of view of their possible applications as anticancer agents. The fungal species Phanerochaete chrysosporium is known for its ability to produce methyltransferases, and therefore used as a biocatalyst in resveratrol modifications. Increased production of methyltransferase was stimulated in the strain by changing the conditions of both its cultivation and biotransformation. However, such an approach resulted in the conversion of resveratrol into 3,5-dihydroxybenzaldehyde, indicating a partial degradation of the substrate.

Lignocellulosic biomass is an organic matrix composed of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. In nature, lignin degradation by basidiomycetes is the key step in lignocellulose decay. The white-rot fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 (YK-624) has been extensively studied due to its high lignin degradation ability. It was demonstrated that YK-624 can secrete lignin peroxidase and manganese peroxidase for lignin degradation. However, the underlying mechanism for lignin degradation by YK-624 remains unknown. Here, we analyzed YK-624 gene expression following growth under ligninolytic and nonligninolytic conditions and compared the differentially expressed genes in YK-624 to those in the model white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium by next-generation sequencing. More ligninolytic enzymes and lignin-degrading auxiliary enzymes were upregulated in YK-624. This might explain the high degradation efficiency of YK-624. In addition, the genes involved in energy metabolism pathways such as the TCA cycle, lipid metabolism, carbon metabolism and glycolysis were upregulated under ligninolytic conditions in YK-624. The first differential gene expression analysis of YK-624 under ligninolytic and nonligninolytic conditions was reported in this study. The results obtained in this study indicated that YK-624 produces more enzymes involved in lignin degradation and energy metabolism.

The use of the ligninolytic fungi Trametes versicolor for the degradation of micropollutants has been widely studied. However, few studies have addressed the treatment of real wastewater containing pharmaceutically active compounds (PhAC) under non-sterile conditions. The main drawback of performing such treatments is the difficulty for the inoculated fungus to successfully compete with the other microorganisms growing in the bioreactor. In the present study, several fungal treatments were performed under non-sterile conditions in continuous operational mode with two types of real wastewater effluent, namely, a reverse osmosis concentrate (ROC) from a wastewater treatment plant and a veterinary hospital wastewater (VHW). In all cases, the setup consisted of two parallel reactors: one inoculated with T. versicolor and one non-inoculated, which was used as the control. The main objective of this work was to correlate the operational conditions and traditional monitoring parameters, such as laccase activity, with PhAC removal and the composition of the microbial communities developed inside the bioreactors. For that purpose a variety of biochemical and molecular biology analyses were performed: phospholipid fatty acids analysis (PLFA), quantitative PCR (qPCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) followed by sequencing. The results show that many indigenous fungi (and not only bacteria, which were the focus of the majority of previously published research) can successfully compete with the inoculated fungi (i.e., Trichoderma asperellum overtook T. versicolor in the ROC treatment). We also showed that the wastewater origin and the operational conditions had a stronger impact on the diversity of microbial communities developed in the bioreactors than the inoculation or not with T. versicolor. © 2016 Elsevier B.V., The authors would like to acknowledge the UAB veterinary hospital staff for their kindness permission and assistance with sampling and Michele Stefani, Dr. Quim Comas and Dr. Hèctor Monclús for providing us with the ROC. This work has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER (projects CTQ2010-21776-C02 and CTM2013-48545-C2) and supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidated Research Groups 2014-SGR-291 and 2014-SGR-476) and the Academy of Finland Research (grant 292967). The Department of Chemical Engineering of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) is member of the Xarxa de Referència en Biotecnologia de la Generalitat de Catalunya. M. Badia-Fabregat acknowledges the predoctoral grant from UAB and the Generalitat de Catalunya grant for research stays (2012 BE100857). D. Lucas acknowledges the predoctoral grant from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (AP-2010-4926). The authors would also like to acknowledge the dedication of the reviewers who contributed to the improvement of the article with their comments.

Coloured wastewater from the textile industry is a very serious global problem. Among 16 different white-rot fungal isolates, Trametes hirsuta PW17-41 revealed high potential for decolourisation of mixed textile dyes (Navy EC-R, Ruby S3B and Super Black G) from real industrial wastewater samples. The efficiency of dye decolourisation was evaluated using the American Dye Manufacturers’ Institute (ADMI) standard methodology. The suitable support for fungal mycelium immobilisation was nylon sponges. The optimal dye decolourisation (95.39%) was achieved by using palm sugar and ammonium nitrate as carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The initial pH was 5 and the agitation speed was 100 rpm at 30 °C. The ADMI values of textile dyes decreased from 2475 to 114 within two days, reducing the treatment time from seven days before optimisation. The major mechanism of dye decolourisation was biodegradation, which was confirmed by UV–visible and FTIR spectra. Manganese peroxidase (MnP) (4942 U L−1) was found to be the main enzyme during the decolourisation process at an initial dye concentration of 21,200 ADMI. The results indicated the strong potential of immobilised fungal cells to remove high concentrations of textile dyes from industrial wastewater and their potential ability to produce high MnP and laccase activities that can be used in further application.

The ability of white-rot fungus, Trametes hirsuta AK04, to utilize phenolics as single and mixed substrates was determined in mineral medium and palm oil mill effluent (POME). The strain AK04 was able to rapidly metabolize all ten phenolics as single and mixed substrates at all test concentrations. With single substrates, between 78 and 98% removal was achieved within seven days. The biomass yield increased with increasing concentration from 100 to 500 mg L−1 but slightly decreased when the concentration was increased up to 1,000 mg L−1. When fitted to a Haldane model, the groups of benzoic and cinnamic acid derivatives gave significantly higher maximum specific growth rates than other phenolics. Phenol exhibited the lowest affinity and highest inhibitory effects on fungal metabolism. In mixed substrates, the total concentration ranges of phenolics mixtures between 1,000 and 6,000 mg L−1 did not affect the fungal growth rate and the strain AK04 showed a high degree of resistance to their toxic effects. The addition of glucose and yeast extract enhanced the degradation rates of individual phenolics in the substrate mixtures, demonstrating the advantage of this strain for treating complex media, such as industrial wastewater.

It is possible to consult this version in open access at the following web address: arXiv:2011.11638, The occurrence of the extensively used herbicide diuron in the environment poses a severe threat to the ecosystem and human health. Four different ligninolytic fungi were studied as biodegradation candidates for the removal of diuron. Among them, T. versicolor was the most effective species, degrading rapidly not only diuron (83%) but also the major metabolite 3,4-dichloroaniline (100%), after 7-day incubation. During diuron degradation, five transformation products (TPs) were found to be formed and the structures for three of them are tentatively proposed. According to the identified TPs, a hydroxylated intermediate 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-hydroxymethyl-1-methylurea (DCPHMU) was further metabolized into the N-dealkylated compounds 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1-methylurea (DCPMU) and 3,4-dichlorophenylurea (DCPU). The discovery of DCPHMU suggests a relevant role of hydroxylation for subsequent N-demethylation, helping to better understand the main reaction mechanisms of diuron detoxification. Experiments also evidenced that degradation reactions may occur intracellularly and be catalyzed by the cytochrome P450 system. A response surface method, established by central composite design, assisted in evaluating the effect of operational variables in a trickle-bed bioreactor immobilized with T. versicolor on diuron removal. The best performance was obtained at low recycling ratios and influent flow rates. Furthermore, results indicate that the contact time between the contaminant and immobilized fungi plays a crucial role in diuron removal. This study represents a pioneering step forward amid techniques for bioremediation of pesticides-contaminated waters using fungal reactors at a real scale., This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness State Research Agency (CTM2016-75587-C2-1-R and CTM2016-75587-C2-2-R) and co-financed by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Horizon 2020 research and innovation WATERPROTECT project (727450). This work was partly supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidate Research Group 2017-SGR-14) and the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Project CEX2018-000794-S). The Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona is a member of the Xarxa de Referència en Biotecnologia de la Generalitat de Catalunya. K. Hu acknowledges the financial support from the Chinese Scholarship Council.

Current research on the inhibition of Microcystis aeruginosa growth is primarily focused on algae-lysing bacteria, and few studies have investigated the inhibitory mechanisms by which fungi affect it at the molecular level. A comparative analysis of the effects of Phanerochaete chrysosporium on the expression of the algal cell antioxidant protease synthesis gene prx, the biological macromolecule damage and repair genes recA, grpE, and fabZ, and the photosynthesis system-related genes psaB, psbD1 and rbcL, as well as genes for algal toxin synthesis mcyB, were performed to elucidate the molecular mechanism of Phanerochaete chrysosporium against Microcystis aeruginosa cells. RT-qPCR technology was used to study the molecular mechanism of algal cell inhibition by Phanerochaete chrysosporium liquid containing metabolites of Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Phanerochaete chrysosporium supernatant and Phanerochaete chrysosporium inactivated via high temperature sterilization at the gene expression level. Compared with the control, the chlorophyll-a contents dropped, and the recA, grpE, fabZ, and prx increased, but the psaB, psbD1, rbcL and mcyB showed that they were significantly reduced, which indicated that Phanerochaete chrysosporium can not only effectively destroy algal cells, but they may also reduce the expression of the Microcystis aeruginosa toxin gene and significantly block the metabolic system underlying the growth of algal cells and the synthesis of microcystins.

Fungi are capable of sensing light from ultraviolet to far-red and they use light as a source of information about the environment anticipating stress and adverse conditions. Lentinus crinitus is a lignin-degrading fungus which produces laccase and other enzymes of biotechnological interest. The effect of blue light on fungal enzymatic activity has been studied; however, it has not been found studies on the effect of the blue light on carbohydrate-active enzymes and on mycelial biomass production of L. crinitus. We aimed to investigate carbohydrate-active enzymes activity and mycelial biomass production of L. crinitus cultivated under continuous illumination with blue light. L. crinitus was cultivated in malt extract medium in the dark, without agitation, and under continuous illumination with blue light-emitting diodes. The blue light reduced the total cellulase, pectinase and xylanase activities but increased the endoglucanase activity. Blue light reduced the mycelial growth of L. crinitus in 26% and the enzymatic activity-to-mycelial biomass ratio (U mg-1 dry basis) increased in 10% total cellulase, 33% endoglucanase, and 16% pectinase activities. Also, it is suggested that L. crinitus has a photosensory system and it could lead to new process of obtaining enzymes of biotechnological interest. Fungos são capazes de sentir a luz com comprimentos de onda que variam do ultravioleta ao infravermelho e usam a luz como fonte de informação sobre o ambiente, antecipando condições adversas e de estresse. Lentinus crinitus é um fungo ligninolítico que produz lacase e outras enzimas de interesse biotecnológico. O efeito da luz azul na atividade enzimática de fungos já foi estudado, contudo, ainda não há estudos sobre o efeito da luz azul na produção de enzimas ativas sobre carboidratos (CAZymes, carbohydrate-active enzymes) e de biomassa micelial de L. crinitus. O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar a avitivade de CAZymes e a produção de biomassa micelial de L. crinitus cultivado sob iluminação continua com luz azul. L. crinitus foi cultivado em meio extrato de malte, sem agitação, na ausência de luz e sob luz continua fornecida por diodos emissores de luz azul. A luz azul reduziu a atividade de cellulase total, pectinase e xilanase, mas aumentou a atividade de endoglucanase. A luz azul reduziu o crescimento micelial de L. crinitus em 26% e aumentou a razão atividade enzimática/biomassa micelial (U mg-1 em base seca) de cellulase total em 10%, endoglucanase em 33% e pectinase em 16%. Além disso, sugere-se que L. crinitus possua um sistema fotossensorial que poderia ser explorado para a otimização de bioprocessos que visam a obtenção de enzimas de interesse biotecnológico.

Low-water soluble metal fluorides such as magnesium fluoride (MgF2) and calcium fluoride (CaF2) were evaluated for decay protection of wood. Initially, the biocidal efficacy of nano metal fluorides (NMFs) against wood destroying fungi was assessed with an in-vitro agar test. The results from the test showed that agar medium containing MgF2 and CaF2 was more efficient in preventing fungal decay than stand-alone MgF2 or CaF2. These metal fluorides, in their nanoscopic form synthesized using fluorolytic sol-gel synthesis, were introduced into the sapwood of Scots pine and beech wood and then subjected to accelerated ageing by leaching (EN 84). MAS 19F NMR and X-ray micro CT images showed that metal fluorides were present in treated wood, unleached and leached. Decay resistance of Scots pine and beech wood treated with NMFs was tested against wood destroying fungi Rhodonia placenta and Trametes versicolor in accordance with EN 113. Results revealed that mass losses were reduced to below 3% in wood treated with the combination of MgF2 and CaF2. It is concluded that NMFs provide full protection to wood even after it has been leached and can be used as wood preservatives in outdoor environments.

PD was supported by a grant of the Netherlands Scientific Organization NWO 824.15.023 to RPdV. The Academy of Finland grant no. 308284 to MRM is acknowledged. Part of the research was performed at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL), a national scientific user facility sponsored by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research, located at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, WA, USA. The work conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute (JGI), was supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE‐AC02‐05CH11231. CSL was supported by the CatchBio program. White‐rot fungi, such as Dichomitus squalens, degrade all wood components and inhabit mixed‐wood forests containing both soft‐ and hardwood species. In this study, we evaluated how D. squalens responded to the compositional differences in softwood [guaiacyl (G) lignin and higher mannan content] and hardwood [syringyl/guaiacyl (S/G) lignin and higher xylan content] using semi‐natural solid cultures. Spruce (softwood) and birch (hardwood) sticks were degraded by D. squalens as measured by oxidation of the lignins using 2D‐NMR. The fungal response as measured by transcriptomics, proteomics and enzyme activities showed a partial tailoring to wood composition. Mannanolytic transcripts and proteins were more abundant in spruce cultures, while a proportionally higher xylanolytic activity was detected in birch cultures. Both wood types induced manganese peroxidases to a much higher level than laccases, but higher transcript and protein levels of the manganese peroxidases were observed on the G‐lignin rich spruce. Overall, the molecular responses demonstrated a stronger adaptation to the spruce rather than birch composition, possibly because D. squalens is mainly found degrading softwoods in nature, which supports the ability of the solid wood cultures to reflect the natural environment. Publisher PDF

Micropollutants are a diverse group of compounds that are detected at trace concentrations and may have a negative effect on the environment and/or human health. Most of them are unregulated contaminants, although they have raised a concern in the scientific and global community and future regulation might be written in the near future. Several approaches have been tested to remove micropollutants from wastewater streams. In this manuscript, a focus is placed in reactor biological treatments that use white-rot fungi. A critical review of white-rot fungal-based technologies for micropollutant removal from wastewater has been conducted, several capabilities and limitations of such approaches have been identified and a range of solutions to overcome most of the limitations have been reviewed and/or proposed. Overall, this review argues that white-rot fungal reactors could be an efficient technology to remove micropollutants from specific wastewater streams. © 2018 Elsevier Ltd, This work has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project CTM2016-75587-C2-1-R ) and partly supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidated Research Group 2017-SGR-14 ). The Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) is member of the Xarxa de Referència en Biotecnologia de la Generalitat de Catalunya. J.A. Mir-Tutusaus acknowledges the predoctoral grant from UAB .

The excessive amount of pharmaceutical compounds (PhCs) released into aquatic environments poses a risk to humans, wildlife, and environmental health. It is a serious problem that requires urgent attention. In this work, we review various PhCs detected in water treatment plants. We propose that fungi, particularly white-rot fungi (WRF), can be used for their bioremediation and describe the main mechanisms used for degrading this type of emerging pollutants; however, we also highlight the need to prospect for new fungal models. A conceptual proposal is made to develop an immobilization device containing a consortium of fungal species that can be placed in wastewater treatment plants (WWTP). We consider that this device would allow more efficient bioremediation of PhCs and address an environmental problem that remains neglected. UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de Biología

Extractives are non-structural wood molecules that represent a minor fraction in wood.However, they are source of diverse molecules putatively bioactive. Inhibition of fungal growth is one of the most interesting properties of wood extractives in a context of wood preservation, crop protection or medical treatments.The antifungal effect of molecules isolated from wood extractives has been mainly attributed to various mechanisms such as metal and free radical scavenging activity, direct interaction with enzymes, disruption of membrane integrity and perturbation of ionic homeostasis. Lignolytic fungi, which are microorganisms adapted to wood substrates, have developed various strategies to protect themselves against this toxicity.A better knowledge of these strategies could help both developing new systems for extractive removal in biomass valorization processes and using these molecules as antifungal agents. (C) 2017 British Mycological Society.

Open Access article paid by the author Background: Wood rotting white-rot and litter-decomposing basidiomycetes form a huge reservoir of oxidative enzymes, needed for applications in the pulp and paper and textile industries and for bioremediation. Objective: The aim was (i) to achieve higher throughput in enzyme screening through miniaturization and automatization of the activity assays, and (ii) to discover fungi which produce efficient oxidoreductases for industrial purposes. Methods: Miniaturized activity assays mostly using dyes as substrate were carried out for lignin peroxidase, versatile peroxidase, manganese peroxidase and laccase. Methods were validated and 53 species of basidiomycetes were screened for lignin modifying enzymes when cultivated in liquid mineral, soy, peptone and solid state oat husk medium. Results: Manganese peroxidases were the most common enzymes produced by 96% of the species. They typically had acidic pH optima, although Hyphodontia sp., Pleurotus pulmonarius and Trametes ochracea produced enzymes highly active at pH 7. Versatile peroxidase was produced by 66% of the fungi with efficient production from Phlebia radiata, P. pulmonarius and Galerina marginata. Novel lignin peroxidase producing fungi Cylindrobasidium evolvens and Daedaleopsis septentrionalis were found among the 26% of the species showing here lignin peroxidase production. Laccase was shown in 92% of the species. Several fungi produced laccase active at pH 7, which is noteworthy because usually laccases of white-rot fungi are efficient and relevant for many industrial applications. Conclusion: Automated screening allowed us to monitor many specific enzyme activities and extend the range of assay conditions from relatively small fungal cultivation sample volumes.

A lactic acid (LA)-producing strain of the hyper-lignin-degrading fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 with the lactate dehydrogenase-encoding gene from Bifidobacterium longum (Blldh) was constructed. When the endogenous pyruvate decarboxylase gene-knocked down and Blldh-expressing transformant was cultured with beech wood meal, the transformant was able to successively delignify and ferment the substrate. Supplementation of calcium carbonate into the culture medium, significantly increased the level of LA accumulation. Direct LA production (at 0.29g/l) from wood was confirmed, and additional inclusion of exogenous cellulase in this fermentation yielded significant further improvement in LA accumulation (up to 1.44g/l). This study provides the first report of direct production of LA by fermentation from woody biomass by a single microorganism, and indicates that transgenic white-rot fungi have a potential use for development of simple/easy applications for wood biorefinery.

This objective is to elucidate the effect of purple field corn stover treated with Pleurotus ostreatus and Volvarialla volvacea on feed utilization, ruminal ecology, and CH4 synthesis in tropical beef cattle. Four male Thai native beef cattle (100 &plusmn, 30 kg of body weight (BW) were assigned randomly as a 2 &times, 2 factorial arrangement in a 4 &times, 4 Latin square design. Factor A (roughage sources) was rice straw and purple field corn stover and factor B was species of white-rot fungi (P. ostreatus and V. volvacea). After fermentation, crude protein (CP) was increased in rice straw and purple field corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus and V. volvacea. The unfermented purple field corn stover contained 11.8% dry matter (DM) of monomeric anthocyanin (MAC), whereas the MAC concentration decreased when purple field corn stover was fermented with white rot fungi. There were no changes (p &gt, 0.05) in DM intake of body weight (BW) kg/d and g/kg BW0.75 among the four treatments. The organic matter (OM), CP, and acid detergent fiber (ADF) intake were different between rice straw and purple field corn stover and were the greatest in the purple field corn stover group. Moreover, the current study showed that neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and ADF digestion was higher in purple field corn stover than in rice straw, but there were no significant differences between P. ostreatus and V. volvacea. There were significant effects of roughage sources on ammonia nitrogen (NH3-N) at 4 h after feeding. Bacterial population was changed by feeding with purple field corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus and V. volvacea. On the other hand, the number of protozoa was reduced by approximately 33% at 4 h after feeding with purple field corn stover (p &lt, 0.01). Propionic acid concentration was different between roughage sources (p &lt, 0.01) enhanced with purple field corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus and V. volvacea. In addition, methane production decreased by 15% with purple field corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus and V. volvacea compared to rice straw. There were significant differences on all nitrogen balances parameters (p &lt, 0.05), except the fecal N excretion (p &gt, 0.05) were not changed. Furthermore, microbial crude protein and efficiency of microbial N synthesis were enhanced when purple field corn stover fermented with P. ostreatus and V. volvacea was fed compared to rice straw group. Base on this study, it could be summarized that P. ostreatus or V. volvacea can enhance the quality of purple field corn stover and modulate rumen fermentation and feed digestion in Thai native beef cattle.

Biopurification systems (BPS) are employed for the treatment of pesticide-containing wastewaters. In this work, a biomixture (active core of BPS) complemented by the addition of the fungus Trametes versicolor was evaluated for the elimination of a mixture of pesticides under different treatment conditions. The biomixture achieved high removal of all the pesticides assayed after 16 d: atrazine (68.4%, t1/2: 9.6 d), carbendazim (96.7%, t1/2: 3.6 d), carbofuran (98.7%, t1/2: 3.1 d) and metalaxyl (96.7%, t1/2: 3.8 d). Variations in the treatment conditions including addition of the antibiotic oxytetracycline and co-bioaugmentation with a bacterial consortium did not significantly affect the removal performance of the biomixture. Bacterial and fungal community profiles determined by DGGE analyses revealed changes that responded to biomixture aging, and not to antibiotic or pesticide addition. The proposed biomixture exhibits very efficient elimination during simultaneous pesticide application; moreover, the matrix is highly stable during stressful conditions such as the co-application of antibiotics of agricultural use. UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro en Investigación en Contaminación Ambiental (CICA)

A number of bacteria and fungi are known to degrade tannins. In this study, the efficiency of the white-rot fungus, Bjerkandera adusta MUT 2295, was evaluated for the treatment of a synthetic solution prepared with tannic acid. Tests were performed in continuously fed, bench-scale, packed-bed reactors, operated under non-sterile conditions with biomass immobilized within PolyUrethane Foam cubes (PUFs). The main parameters monitored to evaluate the process efficiency were: soluble Chemical Oxygen Demand (sCOD), Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal, and activities. of Tannase and Lignin Peroxidase. At the end of the process, additional parameters were evaluated, including the increase of fungal dry weight and the presence of ergosterol. The reactor was operative for 210 days, with maximum sCOD and TOC removal of 81% and 73%, respectively. The reduction of sCOD and TOC were positively correlated with the detection of Tannase and Lignin Peroxidase (LiP) activities. Increases in biomass within the PUF cubes was associated with increases in ergosterol concentrations. This study proved that the fungal-based system tested was efficient for the degradation of tannic acid over a period of time, and under non-sterile conditions.

SUMMARY The aim of this research is to isolate and identify fungi with high lignin-degrading abilities that are autochthonous to southern Serbian region. Two novel fungal isolates identified as Trametes hirsuta F13 and Stereum gausapatum F28 were selected to assess their ligninolytic enzyme activities and the efficiency of lignin removal from beech wood sawdust. Obtained results show that both isolates are good sources of industrially valuable enzymes with a potential for application in various biotechnological and industrial processes. Both isolates showed laccase, manganese-dependent peroxidase, and versatile peroxidase activities, while only S. gausapatum F28 had lignin peroxidase activity. This is the first record of the ability of S. gausapatum species to produce lignin peroxidase. T. hirsuta F13 showed higher laccase activity than S. gausapatum F28, while S. gausapatum F28 had higher manganese peroxidase activity. Also, T. hirsuta F13 exhibited much higher laccase activity under submerged cultivation conditions than solid-state cultivation conditions, which is rare for fungi. This is important for industrial processes since the submerged fermentation is a dominant technique in industry. The test of the efficiency of lignin removal showed that both isolates are efficient lignin decomposers. After five weeks of incubation on beech wood sawdust, the total lignin losses were 33.84% with T. hirsuta F13 and 28.8% with S. gausapatum F28.

This paper reports regulation of endoglucanase (EC 3.2.1.4) and xylanase (EC 3.2.1.8) production in submerged cultivation of four white-rot basidiomycetes. Among carbon sources tested, the Avicel-based medium provided the highest levels of both hydrolases activities in all fungal cultures. However, the maximum endoglucanase and xylanase activities of the tested basidiomycetes varied from 3.9 U/ml and 7.4 U/ml in Fomes fomentarius to 34.2 U/ml and 29.5 U/ml in Pseudotrametes gibbosa, respectively (P. gibbosa specific cellulase and xylanase activities achieved 8.55 and 7.38 U/mg, respectively). Replacement of Avicel in the medium with carboxymethyl cellulose or xylan significantly lowered the enzyme yield of the tested fungi. Moreover, xylan did not ensure high xylanase activity of these fungi. Lignocellulosic substrates used as a carbon source provided poorer productivity (the specific CMCase activity was 1.12–3.62 U/mg and the specific xylanase activity was 1.95–3.32 U/mg). Expression of endoglucanase and xylanase synthesis in Panus lecometei and P. gibbosa was inducible; supplementation of the glycerol-containing medium with Avicel accompanied with a sharp increase of the fungal specific CMCase and xylanase activities from 0.02–0.04 U/mg to 1.30–8.55 U/mg. Supplementation of the Avicel-induced cultures with glucose or glycerol caused a catabolite repression of the cellulase and xylanase formation by P. gibbosa and P. lecometei. The enzyme synthesis resumed only after depletion of easily metabolizable carbon source, glucose or glycerol, from the medium. The data received suggest that in the tested fungi endoglucanase and xylanase synthesis is under control by a common regulatory mechanism.

Fungi of the Pycnoporus are efficient degraders of lignocellulosic materials, so they are classified as white-rot fungi. A distinctive feature is its color ranging from orange to bright red, attributed to cinnabarin, cinnabarinic acid and tramesanguin mainly, compounds to which have been attributed some biological activities. This review updates the reports on morphological characteristics, the distribution of species of Pycnoporus, and the advantages of molecular techniques in species identification. Furthermore, the potential biotechnological applications of these fungi are mentioned with a focus on insecticidal and antibacterial activities. In addition, the production of hydrolytic enzymes including cellulases, hemicellulases, pectinases are discussed as well as phenoloxidases such as laccases and their participation in the degradation of agro-industrial waste.

WOS: 000367776500012, In this study, fungal membrane bioreactor (FMBR) and semiconductor photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR) were used in order to test the efficiency of integrated fungal biodegradation and photocatalytic degradation of textile wastewater from reactive washing processes. It was found that color removal and chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction efficiencies were 88% and 53% for photocatalytic degradation, respectively. TiO2 and ZnO were tested as semiconductor catalysts in the PMR and TiO2 showed better efficiencies than ZnO for both color and COD removal. However, it was attained that color removal and COD reduction efficiencies were about 56% and 60% for fungal biodegradation using Phatterochaete chrysosporium, respectively. Moreover, integrated system in which photocatalytic degradation was employed as a post-treatment application after fungal biodegradation process achieved high removal efficiencies for color and COD removal as 93% and 99%, respectively. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved., Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) [113Y334], This work was funded by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), Project No: 113Y334.

This study describes the application of aluminum sulfate Al2(SO4)3, boric acid H3BO3, phosphoric acid H3PO4 (Al&ndash, B&ndash, P) and amphiprotic surfactant material synthesis by the sol-gel process, which were adopted as novel precursors for wood modification. The efficacy of Al&ndash, P-treated wood was tested against Poria placenta and Coriolus versicolor. Untreated wood samples had higher mass losses (&gt, 40%) compared to the treated sample, which had the lowest wood mass losses (of 4%) against P. placenta and C. versicolor. To analyze the reaction mechanism of Al&ndash, P wood, the mechanical properties, chemical structure, crystallinity, thermal analysis, binding energy and wettability was examined by modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) confirmed the wood colonization by fungi, and was used to identify the microstructures and morphologies changes that occurred in the cells during degradation by white and brown-rot fungi. At the same time, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was employed to analyze the physical and chemical properties of the samples. Therefore, the study confirmed that Al&ndash, P and amphiprotic surfactant could replace the traditional wood preservative products, and have the potential to extend the service life of wood, particularly in soil contact and outdoor usage.

The aim of this study was to characterize the activity of oxidoreductases during biotransformation of 0.01% anthraquinone dyes: Alizarin Blue Black B (ABBB) and Acid Blue 129 (AB129), Carminic Acid (CA), Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR), Acid Green 25 (AG25) and Poly R-478 by immobilized strain of Bjerkandera adusta CCBAS 930. Phenolic compounds, phytotoxicity (Lepidium sativum L.), biotoxicity were evaluated to determine the toxicity of anthraquinone dyes before and after the treatment with immobilized B. adusta CCBAS 930. More than 60% of CA and AB129 were removed by immobilized B. adusta CCBAS after 7 days. No secondary products toxic to plants and bacteria were formed during immobilized cultures of B. adusta CCBAS 930.

BACKGROUND This study investigated the ruminal degradability of various wheat straw types by the white‐rot fungi Ceriporiopsis subvermispora (CS) and Lentinula edodes (LE). Different cultivars (CV) of wheat straw at different maturity stages (MS) were treated with the fungi for 7 weeks and assessed for chemical composition and in vitro gas production (IVGP). RESULTS Both fungi showed a more pronounced degradation of lignin on a more mature straw (MS3; 89.0%) in comparison with the straw harvested at an earlier stage (MS1; 70.7%). Quantitative pyrolysis coupled to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry, using 13C lignin as an internal standard 13C‐IS Py‐GC/MS revealed that lignin in more mature straw was degraded and modified to a greater extent. In contrast, cellulose was less degraded in MS3, as compared to MS1 (8.3% versus 14.6%). There was no effect of different MS on the IVGP of the fungus‐treated straws. Among the different straw cultivars, the extent of lignin degradation varied greatly (47% to 93.5%). This may explain the significant (P < 0.001) effect of cultivar on the IVGP of the fungal‐treated straws. Regardless of the factors tested, both fungi were very capable of improving the IVGP of all straw types by 15.3% to 47.6%, (as compared to untreated straw), with CS performing better than LE – on different MS (33.6% versus 20.4%) and CVs (43.2% versus 29.1%). CONCLUSION The extent of lignin degradation caused by fungal treatment was more pronounced on the more mature and lignified straw, while variable results were obtained with different cultivars. Both fungi were capable of improving the IVGP of various straw types. © 2018 The Authors. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Schizopora paradoxa, current name Xylodon paradoxus, is a white-rot fungus with certain useful biotechnological properties. The representative genome of Schizopora paradoxa strain KUC8140 was published in 2015 as part of the 1000 Fungal Genomes Project. Multilocus phylogenetic analyses, based on three nuclear regions (ITS, LSU and rpb2), confirmed a misidentification of S. paradoxa strain KUC8140 which should be identified as Xylodon ovisporus. This wrong identification explains the unexpected geographical distribution of S. paradoxa, since this species has a European distribution, whereas the strain KUC8140 was recorded from Korea, Eastern Asia., This work was supported by the Plan Nacional I+D+i projects n° CGL2012-35559, CGL2015-67459-P. J.F.L. was supported by a Predoctoral Grant from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain) (BES-2013-066429).

The aim of the present study was to assess the ability of different white-rot fungi to tolerate polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) using predictive mycology, by relating fungal growth inhibition to ligninolityc enzyme secretion. Fungal strains were grown in the presence of PCBs in solid media and their radial growth values were modelled through the Dantigny-logistic like function in order to estimate the time required by the fungal colonies to attain half their maximum diameter. The principal component analysis (PCA) revealed an inverse correlation between strain tolerance to PCBs and the laccase secretion over time, being laccase production closely associated with fungal growth capacity. Finally, a PCA was run to regroup and split between resistant and sensitive fungi. Simultaneously, a function associated with a model predicting the tolerance to PCBs was developed. Some of the assayed isolates showed a promising capacity to be applied in PCB bioremediation. Abbreviations: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), white-rot fungi (WRF). Fil: Sadañoski, Marcela Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica. Laboratorio de Biotecnología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina Fil: Velázquez, Juan Ernesto. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica. Laboratorio de Biotecnología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina Fil: Fonseca, Maria Isabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica. Laboratorio de Biotecnología Molecular; Argentina Fil: Zapata, Pedro Dario. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica. Laboratorio de Biotecnología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina Fil: Levin, Laura Noemí. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Micología y Botánica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Micología y Botánica; Argentina Fil: Villalba, Laura. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales. Departamento de Bioquímica Clínica. Laboratorio de Biotecnología Molecular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina

Source point treatment of effluents with a high load of pharmaceutical active compounds (PhACs), such as hospital wastewater, is a matter of discussion among the scientific community. Fungal treatments have been reported to be successful in degrading this type of pollutants and, therefore, the white-rot fungus Trametes versicolor was applied for the removal of PhACs from veterinary hospital wastewater. Sixty-six percent removal was achieved in a non-sterile batch bioreactor inoculated with T. versicolor pellets. On the other hand, the study of microbial communities by means of DGGE and phylogenetic analyses led us to identify some microbial interactions and helped us moving to a continuous process. PhAC removal efficiency achieved in the fungal treatment operated in non-sterile continuous mode was 44 % after adjusting the C/N ratio with respect to the previously calculated one for sterile treatments. Fungal and bacterial communities in the continuous bioreactors were monitored as well. © 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg., Authors want to acknowledge the UAB veterinary hospital staff for their kind permission and help for the samplings. This work has been funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and FEDER (projects CTM2013-48545-C2 and AIB2010PT-00169) and supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Consolidated Research Groups 2014-SGR-476 and 2014-SGR-291). The Department of Chemical Engineering of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) is a member of the Xarxa de Referència en Biotecnologia de la Generalitat de Catalunya. M. Badia-Fabregat and D. Lucas acknowledge the predoctoral grants from UAB and from the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports (AP-2010-4926), respectively. The authors also thank the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) Strategic Project PEst-OE/EQB/LA0023/2013, Project FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-027462 co-funded by Operational Competitiveness Programme, FEDER, and Project “BioEnv—Biotechnology and Bioengineering for a sustainable world,” REF. NORTE-07-0124-FEDER-000048, co-funded by Programa Operacional Regional do Norte (ON.2 – O Novo Norte), QREN, FEDER.

Optimization of laccase production in white-rot fungi has been extensively studied. Metallic and aromatic compounds have been found to enhance enzyme production, but the development of bioremediation as an application field of this enzyme requires clean technologies. In this work, co-cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum and Trametes versicolor was performed, showing remarkable enhancement of laccase activity. Dual cultures were assayed for malachite green degradation (MG) in solid state fermentation (SSF) using a sawdust-based medium. The time for achieving complete decolorization of MG in co-cultivation was markedly shorter than that observed in monocultures. Dual-species treatment did not differ in wood dry weight loss and lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose degradation, compared to monocultures; but the selectivity index (lignin loss/cellulose loss) of dual cultures was markedly higher than those attained by monocultures. Moreover, a modified isoenzymatic laccase pattern was observed, showing one isoenzyme that was absent in monocultures. Dual cultures were able to decolorize and detoxify the dye more efficiently than the monocultures. The noticeable increase in laccase activity along with the more efficient decolorization and detoxification of MG by co-cultures of G. lucidum and T. versicolor in SSF makes this system a viable strategy for large scale application of white-rot cultures in bioremediation. Fil: Kuhar, José Francisco. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental. Laboratorio de Micología Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Castiglia, Valeria Carolina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental. Laboratorio de Micología Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Levin, Laura Noemi. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biología Experimental. Laboratorio de Micología Experimental; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina

Bioethanol from oil palm empty fruit bunches as a second-generation bioethanol (bioethanol G2) has been developed. It produces high amounts of black liquor wastewater which also contains alkaline solution (NaOH). Black liquor wastewater is harmful to aquatic ecosystems if discharge directly into waters. This study aimed to determine decolorization of black liquor wastewater by using chemical and biological methods. Coagulation-flocculation method by using Poly Aluminium Chloride (PAC) and alumwith different ratio was also investigated. This study also identified the ability of white-rot fungi to decolorize black liquor wastewater on agar and liquid medium.The results showed that black liquor wastewater with initial concentration 30,000 ppm can be decolorized by using two methods, coagulation-flocculation and decolorization by white-rot fungi.The optimum condition to obtain 96% decolorization was using concentration coagulant 1% combination alum-PAC 3:1 with total retention time 33 minutes.Out of the three fungi studied, Trametes versicolor U97 showed the most degraded fungus onagar medium containing black liquor. In liquid medium, the percentage of decolorization ranged from 70% to 89% at 30 days depending on the fungal strain.

Background: Application of membrane technology to wastewater treatment has expanded over the last decades due to increasingly stringent legislation, greater opportunities for water reuse/recycling processes and continuing advancement in membrane technology. Objectives: In the present study, a bench-scale submerged microfiltration membrane bioreactor (MBR) was used to assess the treatment of textile wastewater. Materials and Methods: The decolorization capacity of white-rot fungus coriolus versicolor was confirmed through agar plate and liquid batch studies. The temperature and pH of the reactor were controlled at 29±1°C and 4.5±2, respectively. The bioreactor was operated with an average flux of 0.05 m.d-1 (HRT=15hrs) for a month. Results: Extensive growth of fungi and their attachment to the membrane led to its fouling and associated increase of the transmembrane pressure requiring a periodic withdrawal of sludge and membrane cleaning. However, stable decoloration activity (approx. 98%), BOD (40-50%), COD (50-67%) and total organic carbon (TOC) removal (>95%) was achieved using the entire system (fungi + membrane), while the contribution of the fungi culture alone for TOC removal, as indicated by the quality of the reactor supernatant, was 35-50% and 70%, respectively. Conclusions: The treated wastewater quality satisfied the requirement of water quality for dyeing and finishing process excluding light coloration. Therefore, textile wastewater reclamation and reuse is a promising alternative, which can both conserve or supplement the available water resource and reduce or eliminate the environmental pollution.

Contamination of soils by petroleum hydrocarbon is on the increase, particularly in the oil producing areas of Nigeria. White-rot fungi have enzymes which are capable of turning these organic compounds into harmless substances. This work investigated the performance of three white-rot fungi (Pleurotus tuber-regium, P. ostreatus and P. pulmonarius) for the remediation of different concentrations (0, 1, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20% w/v) of crude oil contaminated soils with sawdust and poultry manure as bedding materials. Ten grammes of each of the white-rot fungi were separately inoculated in each bottle containing exhaustively cropped topsoil (200 g), rice straw (40 g) and wheat bran (20 g). Each treatment was conducted in three replicates and arranged in a 3 x 6 x 3 complete randomised design. The bottles (54) were incubated for zero, one and three months in a dark room, exposed to light, watered daily thereafter for twelve days for fruiting bodies to spring out and harvested. P. ostreatus had best agronomic performance and P. tuber-regium removed hydrocarbons and heavy metals more than either P. ostreatus or P. pulmonarius under similar experimental conditions. The yield and mycoremedial performance of the three tested white-rot fungi demonstrated potentials for cleaning-up petroleum hydrocarbon contaminated soil, but their performance reduced from 5.0% (w/v) crude oil substrate contamination.

Conventional wastewater treatment technologies are ineffective for remediation of old LandFill Leachate (LFL), and innovative approaches to achieve satisfactory removal of this recalcitrant fraction are needed. This study focused on old LFL treatment with a selected fungal strain, Bjerkandera adusta MUT 2295, through batch and continuous tests, using packed-bed bioreactors under non-sterile conditions. To optimize the process performance, diverse types of co-substrates were used, including milled cellulose from beverage cups waste material. Extracellular enzyme production was assayed, in batch tests, as a function of a) cellulose concentration, b) leachate initial Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and Soluble COD (sCOD), and c) co-substrate type. Bioreactors were dosed with an initial start-up of glucose (Rg) or cellulose (Rc). An additional glucose dosage was provided in both reactors, leading to significant performance increases. The highest COD and sCOD removals were i) 63% and 53% in Rg and ii) 54% and 51% in Rc.