Influence of culture conditions on laccase production and isozyme patterns in the white-rot fungus Trametes gallica

Laccase production by the white-rot fungus Trametes gallica was studied, using twelve different media under static or shaking condition. The results indicated that organic nitrogen sources such as tryptone and peptone strongly improved laccase production. The application of an amino acid mixture and a lignin preparation also increased the formation of laccase, which was not observed in the presence of potato extract. Native polyacryl amide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) followed by laccase activity staining using guaiacol as the substrate was performed to analyze the laccase isozyme patterns under the different culture conditions employed. Zymograms revealed a total of twenty different laccase activity bands that appeared in individual patterns, dependent on the respective culture condition applied. This indicates that both the medium composition and the mode of incubation (static or shaking) influenced the laccase isozyme gene expression. This was the first time to report so many laccase isozymes in a fungus. Native PAGE with silver staining showed that laccases were the main protein productions in several media providing a potentially convenient way in purifying laccases from T gallica.