Extracellular enzyme activities of the ericoid mycorrhizal endophyte Hymenoscyphus ericae (Read) Korf & Kernan:: their likely roles in decomposition of dead plant tissue in soil

Hymenoscyphus ericae (Read) Korf & Kernan is known to form mycorrhizas with a number of host plants in the Ericaceae. The fungus produces a range of extracellular enzyme activities which have the potential to mediate utilisation of organic sources of nitrogen and phosphorus in soil. H. ericae has recently been shown also to produce enzyme activities that may allow the fungus to decompose components of the plant cell wall, facilitating access to mineral nutrients sequestered within the walls of moribund plant cells. In this review we assess the evidence for production of cellulolytic, hemicellulolytic, pectinolytic and ligninolytic activities by H. ericae and discuss their likely relevance to nutrient cycling processes.