Detection of extracellular cellulolytic and proteolytic activity in ectomycorrhizal fungi and Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref.

Abstract

summaryProteolytic and cellulolytic activities were studied in the ectomycorrhizal fungi Amanita regalis (Fr.) Maire, Paxillus involutus (Batsch ex Fr.) Fr. and Suillus bovinus (L. ex Fr.) O. Kuntze and the necrotrophic root pathogenic fungus Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref. using plate assays, native gel electrophoresis and substrate gel replicas. All the fungi produced carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)‐hydrolysing activity. Two CMCase bands were detected in H. annosum and P. involutus and one in A. regalis and S. bovinus. In the plate assays, extracellular proteolytic activity was found in all the fungi and the activities were visualized in H. annosum and A. regalis after native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.