APPLICATION OF SUPERIOR STRAINS OF PHANEROCHAETE CHRYSOSPORIUM

THERE IS PRESENTLY WIDESPREAD INTEREST IN USING THE LIGNIN-DEGRADING FUNGUS PHANEROCHAETE CHRYSOSPORIUM AND ITS ENZYMES (LIGNINASES) FOR DEGRADATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS. THIS FUNGUS POSSESSES A VERY NONSPECIFIC OXIDATION SYSTEM CAPABLE OF DEGRADING A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPOUNDS TO THE LEVEL OF CARBON DIOXIDE. THE SYNTHESIS OF THIS DEGRADATION SYSTEM IS TRIGGERED BY STARVATION OF THE FUNGUS FOR NUTRIENT NITROGEN AND CARBON. HEREIN LIES THE MAJOR LIMITATION IN PRACTICAL UTILIZATION OF THIS FUNGUS. THE RATE OF BIODEGRADATION IS VERY LOW AND THE PRODUCTION OFDEGRADATIVE ENZYMES SUCH AS THE LIGNINASES IS VERY LOW. TIENZYME, INC., HAS DEVELOPED A SELECTION PROCEDURE FOR ISOLATION OF MUTANTS WHICH OVERPRODUCE THE LIGNINASES IN ADDITION TO BEING ABLE TO DEGRADE ORGANOPOLLUTANTS UNDER CONDITIONS OF NUTRIENT SUPPLEMENTATION. THE PRESENT PROPOSAL IS AIMED AT CHARACTERIZING THESE MUTANTS FOR THEIR BIODEGRADING ACTIVITY AND TO FURTHER ISOLATE OTHER MUTANTS WITH SUPERIOR PHENOTYPES.