PRODUCTION OF PHANEROCHAETE-CHRYSOSPORIUM LIGNIN PEROXIDASE UNDER VARIOUS CULTURE CONDITIONS

Lignin peroxidase production by the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chr ysosporium is markedly influenced by the buffer system employed. In im mobilized P. chrysosporium cultures with carbon-limited glucose medium , the use of acetate buffer resulted in higher lignin peroxidase activ ities than tartrate. With acetate as the buffer in shake-flask culture s a 20% to over 100% improvement in lignin peroxidase production was o btained as compared to tartrate-buffered systems. Of trace elements, C u2+, Mn2+ and Zn2+ seemed to have the greatest influence on lignin per oxidase production. Furthermore, an increase in the Cu-2+ and Zn2+ con centrations resulted in considerably higher ligninase activities. Alth ough it has been shown previously that high manganese levels repress l igninase production, for maximum ligninase production the presence of some Mn2+ appeared to be necessary. The concentration of phosphorus ha d surprisingly little effect on ligninase production. Highest lignin p eroxidase activities were obtained with lower phosphorus concentration s, but reasonably high activities were obtained within the whole studi ed phosphorus range of 0.12-4.60 gl(-1). Diammonium tartrate alone was a better nitrogen source than a mixture of diammonium tartrate, prote ose peptone and yeast extract. The addition of solid manganese(IV)oxid e to 3-day-old immobilized biocatalyst cultures increased the maximum ligninase activity obtained by about one-third.