An extracellular substance from the white-rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium for reducing molecular oxygen and ferric iron

An extracellular substance that had single-electron oxidation activity was isolated from wood-containing cultures of the white-rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The substance was partially purified by acetone precipitation, gel filtration chromatography on Sephadex G-50 and G-25, and DEAE Affi-Gel Blue gel chromatography. It contained about 18% protein, 20% neutral carbohydrate and 0.28% Fe(II) by weight. This substance was low molecular weight and could catalyze redox reactions between an electron donor, such as NADH, and O-2 to produce H2O2 and to reduce H2O2 to . OH. It reduced Fe(III) to Fe(II) and strongly absorbed Fe(II). This extracellular substance seems to be involved in the initial degradation of cellulose and lignin in wood by the fungus.