EVIDENCE FOR A ROLE OF MANGANESE PEROXIDASE IN THE DECOLORIZATION OF KRAFT PULP BLEACH PLANT EFFLUENT BY PHANEROCHAETE-CHRYSOSPORIUM - EFFECTS OF INITIAL CULTURE CONDITIONS ON ENZYME-PRODUCTION

A role for Mn-peroxidase (MnP) produced by the white rot fungus Phaner ochaete chrysosporium growing on Kraft pulp bleach plant was demonstra ted. This enzyme, but not lignin peroxidase (LIP), was detected when g rowing the fungus under pellet form in the effluent. Enzyme production depended on the density of conidial inoculation, a factor, in turn, d etermining the shape of pellets. Decolorization and MnP production wer e obtained only when the fungus grew under the form of a fluffy pellet ed material. In vitro experiments with purified MnP and LIP, have show n that only MnP has a decolorizing activity, but this was limited to a bout 25%. Full 'in vivo' decolorization, which attain more than 80%, m ay therefore depend on the production of other enzyme components by th e fungus.