Comparative Studies on the Induction of <em>Trichoderma harzianum</em> Mutanase by α-(1→3)-Glucan-Rich Fruiting Bodies and Mycelia of <em>Laetiporus sulphureus</em>

• Main Authors: Grzegorz Janusz, Adrian Wiater, Janusz Szczodrak, Małgorzata Pleszczyńska
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2012-07-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: <em>Laetiporus sulphureus</em> mutanase; <em>Trichoderma harzianum</em> α-(1→3)-glucan; fruiting body; polypore fungus
• Online Access: http://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/13/8/9584

Mutanase (α-(1→3)-glucanase) is a little-known inductive enzyme that is potentially useful in dentistry. Here, it was shown that the cell wall preparation (CWP) obtained from the fruiting body or vegetative mycelium of polypore fungus <em>Laetiporus sulphureus</em> is rich in α-(1→3)-glucan and can be successfully used for mutanase induction in <em>Trichoderma harzianum</em>. The content of this biopolymer in the CWP depended on the age of fruiting bodies and increased along with their maturation. In the case of CWP prepared from vegetative mycelia, the amount of α-(1→3)-glucan depended on the mycelium age and also on the kind of medium used for its cultivation. All CWPs prepared from the individually harvested fruiting body specimens induced high mutanase activity (0.53–0.82 U/mL) in <em>T</em>. <em>harzianum</em> after 3 days of cultivation. As for the CWPs obtained from the hyphal mycelia of <em>L. sulpureus</em>, the maximal enzyme productivity (0.34 U/mL after 3 days of incubation) was recorded for CWP prepared from the 3 week-old mycelium cultivated in Sabouraud medium. Statistically, a high positive correlation was found between the total percentage content of α-(1→3)-glucan in the CWP and the mutanase activity.