An evaluation of soil colonisation potential of selected fungi and their production of ligninolytic enzymes for use in soil bioremediation applications

Initially sixteen fungi were screened for potential ligninolytic activity using decolourisation of a polymeric dye Poly R-478. From this, four fungi were selected, Trametes versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus, Collybia sp., and an isolate (identified as Rhizoctonia solani) isolated from a grassland soil. Differences in the ligninolytic enzyme profiles of each of the fungi were observed. All of the four fungi tested produced MnP and laccase while the Collybia sp. and R. solani produced LiP in addition. Enzyme activity levels also varied greatly over the 21 days of testing with T. versicolor producing levels of MnP and laccase three to four times greater than the other fungi. The four fungi were then tested for their ability to colonise sand, peat (forest) and basalt and marl mixed till (field) soils through visual measurement and biomass detection in soil microcosms. Trametes versicolor and the Collybia sp. failed to grow in any of the non-sterilised soils whereas the R. solani and P. ostreatus isolates grew satisfactorily. Primers were designed to detect MnP and laccase genes in P. ostreatus and RTPCR was used to detect that these genes are expressed in forest and field soils.