Enzymes of Botrytis cinerea capable of breaking down hydrogen peroxide

The amounts of intra- and extracellular guaiacol peroxidase, ascorbic peroxidase, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, laccase, and catalase present in Botrytis cinerea, cultured in three different media: Kovac synthetic medium, Sabouraud fluid medium, and a medium containing malt extract, were determined. The activity of two enzymes, ascorbic peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase: has not been previously described in B. cinerea. The detected amount of the enzymes showed considerable variability in the three different culture media. The presence of an array of enzymes capable of metabolizing hydrogen peroxide, whose levels are determined by the conditions under which the fungus grows, shows that B. cinerea is well equipped to contend with the occurrence of host-produced active oxygen species. (C) 2000 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.