SCREENING WOOD-INHABITING AND BARK-INHABITING BASIDIOMYCETES FOR ESTERASE-ACTIVITY IN LIQUID STATIONARY CULTURE

Extracellular esterase activities in stationary liquid culture filtrat es for fifteen species of wood- and bark-inhabiting homobasidiomycetes were determined spectrophotometrically using p-nitrophenol-acyl ester s of four to eighteen carbon atoms. In a basal medium supplemented wit h glucose, Dendrothele acerina, D. griseo-cana and Mycena meliigena sh owed esterase activities with preferences fbr shorter acyl substrates, whereas Aleurodiscus oakesii, Cystostereum pini-canadense, Dichostere um effuscatum and Dendrophora albo-badia exhibited esterase activities with preferences for longer acyl substrates. Aleurodiscus oakesii, D. effuscatum and M. meliigena were also grown in media supplemented wit h suberin-rich commercial cork or processed maple rhytidome. Mycena me liigena responded by an earlier onset and elevated level of esterase a ctivity, and by a shift toward a preference for longer acyl substrates . This result is consistent with previous evidence presented that M. m eliigena can degrade suberin. Evidence for suberin degradation by the other fungi displaying esterase activity is less clear-cut.