Identification of efficient dye decolorizing laccase producing fungi from Kolli Hills

33-43Laccase is one of the most promising ligninolytic enzymes for the industrial application and ecofriendly bioremediation process. Twenty-five carpophores were collected from different places of Kolli Hills (Namakkal district Tamilnadu, India) and screened on the solid media containing guaiacol, which enabled the detection of laccase secretion. Three positive strains were isolated and the quantitative production of laccase was determined in submerged culture to select hypersecretory strain for further study. Among the three strains, “ST02” the best producer of laccase was selected and was analyzed for the dye decolorization potential using dyes like Poly R-478 and Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR). Identification of the isolated organism was carried out by classical and molecular methods. Approximately 625 bp of the ST02 5.8S rDNA was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The phylogenetic relationship of the isolated strain was studied by comparing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences of ST02 with similar related sequences deposited in the GenBank database. The present study showed that relatively simple plate test screening method and ITS analysis can be used for identification of laccase producing new strain. The isolated organism was designated as Pleurotus ostreatus IMI 395545