Preliminary Isolation and Characterization of Manganese (II)

White-rot fungi produce lignin-degrading enzymes including lignin peroxidase (LiP), manganese (II) peroxidase (MnP) and laccase. These enzymes can be applied to conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to useful materials, degradation of chemicals which cause environmental pollution and other economically important processes. Pleurotus ostreatus, which has been cultivated widely inJapan as an edible mushroom, degrades lignin efficiently. This fungus has been found to produce lignin degrading enzymes extra-cellularly in both liquid and solid cultures. This study aims to isolate and characterize MnP produced by P. ostreatus. 1. Production of lignin degrading enzymes by P. ostreatus In the culture of P. ostreatus IS-I, addition of hot water extracts of wheat bran to a glucose-peptone medium consisted of 2 % glucose, 0.5 % polypeptone, 0.2 % yeast extract, 0.1 % KH2P04 and 0.05 % MgS04'7H20 enhanced extensively the production of MnP and laccase. Alkaline extracts of wheat bran also enhanced laccase production. The enzyme activities in these media were found to be much higher than those in Kirk's media. LiP activity was not detected in the conditions examined