Source Of Novel Enzymes Research Articles

Bioprospecting microbes and enzymes for the production of pterocarpans and coumestans.

The isoflavonoid derivatives, pterocarpans and coumestans, are explored for multiple clinical applications as osteo-regenerative, neuroprotective and anti-cancer agents. The use of plant-based systems to produce isoflavonoid derivatives is limited due to cost, scalability, and sustainability constraints. Microbial cell factories overcome these limitations in which model organisms such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae offer an efficient platform to produce isoflavonoids. Bioprospecting microbes and enzymes can provide an array of tools to enhance the production of these molecules. Other microbes that naturally produce isoflavonoids present a novel alternative as production chassis and as a source of novel enzymes. Enzyme bioprospecting allows the complete identification of the pterocarpans and coumestans biosynthetic pathway, and the selection of the best enzymes based on activity and docking parameters. These enzymes consolidate an improved biosynthetic pathway for microbial-based production systems. In this review, we report the state-of-the-art for the production of key pterocarpans and coumestans, describing the enzymes already identified and the current gaps. We report available databases and tools for microbial bioprospecting to select the best production chassis. We propose the use of a holistic and multidisciplinary bioprospecting approach as the first step to identify the biosynthetic gaps, select the best microbial chassis, and increase productivity. We propose the use of microalgal species as microbial cell factories to produce pterocarpans and coumestans. The application of bioprospecting tools provides an exciting field to produce plant compounds such as isoflavonoid derivatives, efficiently and sustainably.

Giant Viruses as a Source of Novel Enzymes for Biotechnological Application.

The global demand for industrial enzymes has been increasing in recent years, and the search for new sources of these biological products is intense, especially in microorganisms. Most known viruses have limited genetic machinery and, thus, have been overlooked by the enzyme industry for years. However, a peculiar group of viruses breaks this paradigm. Giant viruses of the phylum Nucleocytoviricota infect protists (i.e., algae and amoebae) and have complex genomes, reaching up to 2.7 Mb in length and encoding hundreds of genes. Different giant viruses have robust metabolic machinery, especially those in the Phycodnaviridae and Mimiviridae families. In this review, we present some peculiarities of giant viruses that infect protists and discuss why they should be seen as an outstanding source of new enzymes. We revisited the genomes of representatives of different groups of giant viruses and put together information about their enzymatic machinery, highlighting several genes to be explored in biotechnology involved in carbohydrate metabolism, DNA replication, and RNA processing, among others. Finally, we present additional evidence based on structural biology using chitinase as a model to reinforce the role of giant viruses as a source of novel enzymes for biotechnological application.

A novel basydiomycete isolated from mangrove swamps in the Colombian Caribbean shows promise in dye bioremediation

Ligninolytic fungi derived from coastal and marine environments, particularly mangrove swamps, are considered potential sources of novel enzymes with unique properties (thermostability, high-redox potential, salt and pH tolerance) not found in terrestrial strains, which are very attractive for the development of effective solutions for the elimination of contamination caused by the textile industry. In this study, the isolation and ligninolytic screening of 73 fungal strains derived from mangrove swamps were achieved. Ten strains showed ligninolytic potential, among which, the basidiomycete identified as INV BAS1 (Cyphellaceae family) exhibited outstanding laccase activity (11873.8 ± 329.0 UL−1). The laccase production was enhanced (5-fold) by optimizing the medium components concentration using a statistical design that combined the one factor at a time method and a central composite rotational design (CCRD), under Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Decolorization of the recalcitrant textile dye Remazol Briliant Blue R (RBBR) was carried out through fermentation and the use of enzyme extracts, reaching decolorization percentages of up to 95.64 ± 1.28 %, under alkaline and high salinity conditions. The laccase activity in the bulk extracts was the major responsible for the RBBR degradation according to gel zymography, UV-Vis and ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. These results contribute to the knowledge of fungal diversity in tropical mangroves and confirm their potential for the development of new bioremediation strategies in high-salt and alkaline effluents generated by the textile industry.

Marine Bacterial Esterases: Emerging Biocatalysts for Industrial Applications.

The marine ecosystem has been known to be a significant source of novel enzymes. Esterase enzymes (EC 3.1.1.1) represent a diverse group of hydrolases that catalyze the cleavage and formation of ester bonds. Although esterases are widely distributed among marine organisms, only microbial esterases are of paramount industrial importance. This article discusses the importance of marine microbial esterases, their biochemical and kinetic properties, and their stability under extreme conditions. Since culture-dependent techniques provide limited insights into microbial diversity of the marine ecosystem, therefore, genomics and metagenomics approaches have widely been adopted in search of novel esterases. Additionally, the article also explains industrial applications of marine bacterial esterases particularly for the synthesis of optically pure substances, the preparation of enantiomerically pure drugs, the degradation of human-made plastics and organophosphorus compounds, degradation of the lipophilic components of the ink, and production of short-chain flavor esters.

Phylogenetic characterization and screening of halophilic bacteria from Algerian salt lake for the production of biosurfactant and enzymes

Environments containing significant concentration of NaCl such as salt lakes harbor extremophiles microorganisms which have a great biotechnology interest. To explore the diversity of Bacteria in Chott Tinsilt (Algeria), an isolation program was performed. Water samples were collected from the saltern during the pre-salt harvesting phase. This Chott is high in salt (22.47% (w/v). Seven halophiles Bacteria were selected for further characterization. The isolated strains were able to grow optimally in media with 10–25% (w/v) total salts. Molecular identification of the isolates was performed by sequencing the 16S rRNA gene. It showed that these cultured isolates included members belonging to the Halomonas, Staphylococcus, Salinivibrio, Planococcus and Halobacillus genera with less than 98% of similarity with their closest phylogenetic relative. The halophilic bacterial isolates were also characterized for the production of biosurfactant and industrially important enzymes. Most isolates produced hydrolases and biosurfactants at high salt concentration. In fact, this is the first report on bacterial strains (A4 and B4) which were a good biosurfactant and coagulase producer at 20% and 25% ((w/v)) NaCl. In addition, the biosurfactant produced by the strain B4 at high salinity (25%) was also stable at high temperature (30-100°C) and high alkalinity (pH 11).

Improvement in oxidative stability of versatile peroxidase by flow cytometry-based high-throughput screening system

Pleurotus eryngii wild-type versatile peroxidase (wtVP) oxidizes structurally diverse substrates in an H2O2-dependent manner, but its ability to oxidize many pollutants is limited by suicidal enzyme inactivation in the presence of excess H2O2. To address this drawback, we generated random mutagenesis libraries containing 3 × 106 mutated VP genes and screened for enzymes with higher oxidative stability expressed on the surface of yeast cells. This was achieved by flow cytometry using the substrate fluorescein tyramide. After two rounds of sorting, the percentage of cells expressing variants with improved oxidative stability had increased from 1 % to 56 %. The most stable variants featured 3–5 amino acid substitutions and retained up to 70 % of their initial activity after incubation for 1 h in 30 mM H2O2 (conditions that completely inactivate wtVP). Selected variants were extracted from yeast cell walls and purified for kinetic characterization. We also prepared yeast cell walls with wtVP and the three most stable VP variants for multiple cycles of azo dye (Reactive black 5) degradation. After 10 cycles of 12 h, two of the variants retained more than 97 % of their initial activity, whereas the activity of wtVP declined by ∼30 %. These results confirm that our high-throughput screening system can improve the oxidative stability of versatile peroxidase, providing a source of novel enzymes for remediation applications.

Metagenomics of Atacama Lithobiontic Extremophile Life Unveils Highlights on Fungal Communities, Biogeochemical Cycles and Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes.

Halites, which are typically found in various Atacama locations, are evaporitic rocks that are considered as micro-scaled salterns. Both structural and functional metagenomic analyses of halite nodules were performed. Structural analyses indicated that the halite microbiota is mainly composed of NaCl-adapted microorganisms. In addition, halites appear to harbor a limited diversity of fungal families together with a biodiverse collection of protozoa. Functional analysis indicated that the halite microbiome possesses the capacity to make an extensive contribution to carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur cycles, but possess a limited capacity to fix nitrogen. The halite metagenome also contains a vast repertory of carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZY) with glycosyl transferases being the most abundant class present, followed by glycosyl hydrolases (GH). Amylases were also present in high abundance, with GH also being identified. Thus, the halite microbiota is a potential useful source of novel enzymes that could have biotechnological applicability. This is the first metagenomic report of fungi and protozoa as endolithobionts of halite nodules, as well as the first attempt to describe the repertoire of CAZY in this community. In addition, we present a comprehensive functional metagenomic analysis of the metabolic capacities of the halite microbiota, providing evidence for the first time on the sulfur cycle in Atacama halites.

Microalgal Enzymes with Biotechnological Applications.

Enzymes are essential components of biological reactions and play important roles in the scaling and optimization of many industrial processes. Due to the growing commercial demand for new and more efficient enzymes to help further optimize these processes, many studies are now focusing their attention on more renewable and environmentally sustainable sources for the production of these enzymes. Microalgae are very promising from this perspective since they can be cultivated in photobioreactors, allowing the production of high biomass levels in a cost-efficient manner. This is reflected in the increased number of publications in this area, especially in the use of microalgae as a source of novel enzymes. In particular, various microalgal enzymes with different industrial applications (e.g., lipids and biofuel production, healthcare, and bioremediation) have been studied to date, and the modification of enzymatic sequences involved in lipid and carotenoid production has resulted in promising results. However, the entire biosynthetic pathways/systems leading to synthesis of potentially important bioactive compounds have in many cases yet to be fully characterized (e.g., for the synthesis of polyketides). Nonetheless, with recent advances in microalgal genomics and transcriptomic approaches, it is becoming easier to identify sequences encoding targeted enzymes, increasing the likelihood of the identification, heterologous expression, and characterization of these enzymes of interest. This review provides an overview of the state of the art in marine and freshwater microalgal enzymes with potential biotechnological applications and provides future perspectives for this field.

Marine fungi: a potential source of novel enzymes for environmental and biotechnological applications

Marine fungi: a potential source of novel enzymes for environmental and biotechnological applications

Antioxidant activity of exo-metabolites produced by Fusarium oxysporum: An endophytic fungus isolated from leaves of Otoba gracilipes.

Tropical ecosystems hold an extremely diverse array of endophytic fungi, but their potential use still remains to be explored. In this study, we isolated an endophytic fungus from the leaves of Otoba gracilipes, a medicinal tree from a tropical rainforest in Colombia. Following isolation and cultivation, we evaluated its extracellular crude extract for antioxidant activity. Using traditional and molecular methods (ITS1, NL1 regions), the endophyte was identified as Fusarium oxysporum. Fresh spores from the fungal isolate were inoculated in liquid media (potato dextrose broth [PDB] and potato dextrose–yeast extract broth [PDYB]) and centrifuged for recovering extracellular polysaccharides from the exhausted medium after 30 days of cultivation. Crude extracts were recovered, purified, lyophilized, and evaluated for their ability to inactivate the free radical 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The extracts obtained from PDB culture media had a 51.5% of scavenging effect on DPPH after 5 min of reaction compared with the extracts from PDBY (26.4%), which suggests a high antioxidant potential of these fungal extracts. Thus, our results suggest other fungi from tropical ecosystems should be explored as potential sources of novel enzymes and other metabolites with bioactivity.

Diversity of tryptophan halogenases in sponges of the genus Aplysina.

ABSTRACTMarine sponges are a prolific source of novel enzymes with promising biotechnological potential. Especially halogenases, which are key enzymes in the biosynthesis of brominated and chlorinated secondary metabolites, possess interesting properties towards the production of pharmaceuticals that are often halogenated. In this study we used a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based screening to simultaneously examine and compare the richness and diversity of putative tryptophan halogenase protein sequences and bacterial community structures of six Aplysina species from the Mediterranean and Caribbean seas. At the phylum level, bacterial community composition was similar amongst all investigated species and predominated by Actinobacteria, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, Gemmatimonadetes, and Proteobacteria. We detected four phylogenetically diverse clades of putative tryptophan halogenase protein sequences, which were only distantly related to previously reported halogenases. The Mediterranean species Aplysina aerophoba harbored unique halogenase sequences, of which the most predominant was related to a sponge-associated Psychrobacter-derived sequence. In contrast, the Caribbean species shared numerous novel halogenase sequence variants and exhibited a highly similar bacterial community composition at the operational taxonomic unit (OTU) level. Correlations of relative abundances of halogenases with those of bacterial taxa suggest that prominent sponge symbiotic bacteria, including Chloroflexi and Actinobacteria, are putative producers of the detected enzymes and may thus contribute to the chemical defense of their host.

Type II flavoprotein monooxygenase PsFMO_A from the bacterium Pimelobacter sp. Bb-B catalyzes enantioselective Baeyer-Villiger oxidations with a relaxed cofactor specificity

Microbial consortia, which degrade branched, long-chain hydrocarbons, can be regarded as a promising source of novel enzymes for the stereo- and regio-selective oxyfunctionalization of hydrocarbons. The hydrocarbon-degrading bacterium Pimelobacter sp. Bb-B was isolated from the consortium associated with the colonial hydrocarbon-excreting microalga Botryococcus braunii. Three new type II flavoprotein monooxygenases (type II FMOs) from this bacterium have been made available in recombinant form through cloning and overexpression in an E. coli host organism. These enzymes (PsFMO_A-C) were characterized in terms of their capability of catalyzing Baeyer-Villiger oxidations with distinct substrates. The highest activity was detected when utilizing camphor and bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one as substrate in combination with PsFMO_A as the most promising enzyme. Furthermore, synthetic biotransformations with 5 mM of the substrate bicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-one, formate and formate dehydrogenase for in situ-cofactor recycling were conducted with this enzyme, leading to a substrate consumption of 85% after 66 h and excellent enantioselectivity of 99% ee for the (1R,5S)-enantiomer. Additionally, an alternative in situ-cofactor recycling based on the use of microalgae for in situ-production of formate from carbon dioxide, water and light together with a formate dehydrogenase was combined successfully with the enzyme PsFMO_A, leading to a substrate consumption of 94% and an enantioselectivity of >99% ee for the so-called “normal lactone”-enantiomer with the absolute configuration 1R,5S.

Isolation and characterization of bacteria associated with the rhizosphere of halophytes (Salsola stocksii and Atriplex amnicola) for production of hydrolytic enzymes.

Microbes from hypersaline environments are useful in biotechnology as sources of novel enzymes and proteins. The current study aimed to characterize halophilic bacteria from the rhizosphere of halophytes (Salsola stocksii and Atriplex amnicola), non-rhizospheric, and brine lake-bank soils collected from Khewra Salt Mine and screening of these bacterial strains for industrially important enzymes. A total of 45 bacterial isolates from the rhizosphere of Salsola, 38 isolates from Atriplex, 24 isolates from non-rhizospheric, and 25 isolates from lake-bank soils were identified by using 16S rRNA gene analysis. Phylogenetic analysis showed that bacterial strains belonging to Bacillus, Halobacillus, and Kocuria were dominant in the rhizosphere of halophytes (Salsola and Atriplex), and Halobacillus and Halomonas were dominating genera from non-rhizospheric and lake-bank soils. Mostly identified strains were moderately halophilic bacteria with optimum growth at 1.5-3.0M salt concentrations. Most of the bacterial exhibited lipase, protease, cellulase, amylase, gelatinase, and catalase activities. Halophilic and halotolerant Bacilli (AT2RP4, HL1RS13, NRS4HaP9, and LK3HaP7) identified in this study showed optimum lipase, protease, cellulase, and amylase activities at 1.0-1.5M NaCl concentration, pH 7-8, and temperature 37°C. These results indicated that halophilic and halotolerant bacteria can be used for bioconversion of organic compounds to useful products under extreme conditions.

Biological pretreatment of rice straw by ligninolytic Bacillus sp. strains for enhancing biogas production

Fermenting agricultural biomass, such as rice straw (RS), to methane is a promising solution to an ongoing waste problem. However, the biomass must first be pretreated to break down lignin thereby increasing accessibility of the substrate to fermentative organisms. Biological pretreatment by microorganisms represents a potentially economical strategy to prepare the biomass for fermentation. We isolated seven candidate ligninolytic Bacillus sp. strains based on their robustness for lignin degradation. The production of the ligninolytic enzymes from these strains was characterized and optimized. The bacterial strains were tested for their ability to pretreat RS and increase the yield of biomethane fermentation. It was determined that using mixed combinations of bacterial cultures was more effective than using individual strains. Overall, the study demonstrates the potential of using these Bacillus sp. strains as robust biocatalysts for processing lignocellulosic waste biomass. Significance: Newly isolated Bacillus sp. strains demonstrated an efficient degradation of lignin, Azure B dye, fast hydrolysis of rice straw, and improved biogas yields. This research suggests that, Bacillus sp. strains could be a source of novel enzymes, and an ideal candidate in bioprocessing of complex substrates”. © 2018 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 38:e13036, 2019

Screening of potential bioremediation enzymes from hot spring bacteria using conventional plate assays and liquid chromatography - Tandem mass spectrometry (Lc-Ms/Ms)

The search for an eco-friendly, non-toxic, economical and efficient means of cleaning water through bioremediation is not only more favourable but critical to maintaining water quality globally especially in water-scarce countries. Thermophilic bacteria including Bacillus species are an important source of novel enzymes for biotechnology applications. In this study, 56 bacterial isolates which were cultured from five hot springs in South Africa were identified predominantly as Bacillus sp. or Bacillus-related spp by 16S rDNA gene sequencing. These isolates were screened for potentially useful enzymes for water bioremediation. Using conventional agar plate assays, 56% (n = 43), 68% (n = 38) and 16% (n = 31) were positive for amylase, protease and bromothymol blue decolorisation respectively. In liquid starch culture, three amylase-positive isolates differentially degraded starch by 34% (isolate 20S) to 98% (isolate 9T). Phenol degradation revealed that five out of thirty reduced phenol up to 42% by colorimetric assay. A thermophilic strain of Anoxybacillus rupiensis 19S (optimal growth temperature of 50 °C), which degraded starch, protein and phenol, was selected for further analysis by tandem LC-MS/MS. This newer technique identified potential enzymes for water bioremediation relating to pollutants from the food industry (amylase, proteases), polyaromatic hydrocarbons and dye pollutants (catalase peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, azoreductase, quinone oxidoreductase), antibiotic residues (ribonucleases), solubilisation of phosphates (inorganic pyrophosphatase) and reduction of chromate and lead. In addition, potential enzymes for biomonitoring of environmental pollutants were also identified. Specifically, dehydrogenases were found to decrease as the level of inorganic heavy metals and petroleum increased in soil samples. This study concludes that bacteria found in South African hot springs are a potential source of novel enzymes with tandem LC-MS/MS revealing substantially more information compared with conventional assays, which can be used for various applications of water bioremediation.

Future direction in marine bacterial agarases for industrial applications.

The marine ecosystem has been known to be a rich source of novel enzymes. Agarase is a key enzyme that can hydrolyze agar in the marine environment. Marine bacterial agarase has been isolated from various sources, such as sediments, coastal water, and deep sea and from the surface of crustaceans and seaweeds. This review presents an account of the agarase production of marine bacteria. General information about agar, agarase, isolation, and purification of marine bacterial agarases; the biochemical properties of native agarase from marine bacteria; the biochemical properties of recombinant marine bacterial agarases from engineered microorganisms; and the industrial future of marine bacterial agarases is analyzed. With recent biotechnological processes, researchers need novel functional enzymes like agarase from marine resources, such as marine bacteria, that can be used for diverse applications in the biotechnological industry. Marine bacterial agarases might be of significant interest to the industry because they are safe and are a natural source. This review highlights the potential of marine bacteria as important sources of agarase for application in various industries.

Metagenomic Analysis of the Gut Microbiome of the Common Black Slug Arion ater in Search of Novel Lignocellulose Degrading Enzymes.

Some eukaryotes are able to gain access to well-protected carbon sources in plant biomass by exploiting microorganisms in the environment or harbored in their digestive system. One is the land pulmonate Arion ater, which takes advantage of a gut microbial consortium that can break down the widely available, but difficult to digest, carbohydrate polymers in lignocellulose, enabling them to digest a broad range of fresh and partially degraded plant material efficiently. This ability is considered one of the major factors that have enabled A. ater to become one of the most widespread plant pest species in Western Europe and North America. Using metagenomic techniques we have characterized the bacterial diversity and functional capability of the gut microbiome of this notorious agricultural pest. Analysis of gut metagenomic community sequences identified abundant populations of known lignocellulose-degrading bacteria, along with well-characterized bacterial plant pathogens. This also revealed a repertoire of more than 3,383 carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) including multiple enzymes associated with lignin degradation, demonstrating a microbial consortium capable of degradation of all components of lignocellulose. This would allow A. ater to make extensive use of plant biomass as a source of nutrients through exploitation of the enzymatic capabilities of the gut microbial consortia. From this metagenome assembly we also demonstrate the successful amplification of multiple predicted gene sequences from metagenomic DNA subjected to whole genome amplification and expression of functional proteins, facilitating the low cost acquisition and biochemical testing of the many thousands of novel genes identified in metagenomics studies. These findings demonstrate the importance of studying Gastropod microbial communities. Firstly, with respect to understanding links between feeding and evolutionary success and, secondly, as sources of novel enzymes with biotechnological potential, such as, CAZYmes that could be used in the production of biofuel.

Isolation and Characterisation of a Halotolerant ω‐Transaminase from a Triassic Period Salt Mine and Its Application to Biocatalysis

AbstractChiral amines are valuable intermediates for the pharmaceutical industry, with up to 40% of current pharmaceuticals containing an amine functionality. However, their syntheses by conventional chemical methods often suffer from a number of key drawbacks. Transaminases (TAms) are pyridoxal phosphate (PLP) dependent enzymes capable of transferring an amine group to a prochiral ketone, offering a green and economically viable alternative to chiral amine production. Despite some high profile successes, TAms suffer from limited substrate scope and the ability to function under challenging conditions often required in reaction processes. Mining of untapped, extremophilic environments represents a viable approach in the search for novel enzymes. We report the cloning and expression of an (S)‐selective ω‐TAm from a Halomonas sp. (Ad2‐TAm), isolated from an extreme hypersaline environment formed during the Triassic period (circa 220 mya). Ad2‐TAm exhibits an ability to convert a range of structurally diverse aldehyde and ketone substrates, with no decrease in conversion up to 1.5 M (8.8%) NaCl. The enzyme is also tolerant to the presence of organic cosolvents up to 30% and accepts a range of amino donors. These characteristics make Ad2‐TAm a promising candidate for industrial applications, whilst also highlighting the value of extreme environments as a source of novel enzymes for the pharmaceutical industry as a whole.

Solid-state fermentative production of aroma esters by Myroides sp. ZB35 and its complete genome sequence

Consumers prefer biotechnological food products with high nutritional values and good flavors. Solid-state fermentation is a commonly used technique with a long history. In the present study, Myroides sp. ZB35 was used in solid-state fermentative production of aroma volatiles on a rice medium. Using the headspace solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry technique and authentic standards, 22 esters with molecular weight ranging from 102 to 172 were identified. At 192h, the esters reached a total concentration of 1774μg/kg. Subsequently, the complete genome of ZB35 was sequenced using the PacBio RS II platform. ZB35 has a single circular chromosome of 4,065,010bp with a GC content of 34.1% and six putative novel esterase genes were found. ZB35 is the first bacterium here discovered being capable of producing so many kinds of aroma esters. The data revealed here would provide helpful information for further developing this strain as a promising source of aroma esters relevant in food and fragrance industries and the source of novel enzymes with potential usages.

Improved endoglucanase production and mycelial biomass of some ericoid fungi

Fungal species associated with ericaceous plant roots produce a number of enzymes and other bio-active metabolites in order to enhance survival of their host plants in natural environments. This study focussed on endoglucanase production from root associated ericoid mycorrhizal and dark septate endophytic fungal isolates. Out of the five fungal isolates screened, Leohumicola sp. (ChemRU330/PPRI 13195) had the highest relative enzyme activity and was tested along with isolates belonging to Hyloscyphaceae (EdRU083/PPRI 17284) and Leotiomycetes (EdRU002/PPRI 17261) for endoglucanase production under different pH and nutritional conditions that included: carbon sources, nitrogen sources and metal ions, at an optimum temperature of 28 °C. An optimal of pH 5.0 produced enzyme activity of 3.99, 2.18 and 4.31 (U/mg protein) for isolates EdRU083, EdRU002 and Leohumicola sp. respectively. Increased enzyme activities and improved mycelial biomass production were obtained in the presence of supplements such as potassium, sodium, glucose, maltose, cellobiose, tryptone and peptone. While NaFe-EDTA and Co2+ inhibited enzyme activity. The potential role of these fungi as a source of novel enzymes is an ongoing objective of this study.