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Copper increases laccase gene transcription and extracellular laccase activity in Pleurotus eryngii KS004

  • Bacterial, Fungal and Virus Molecular Biology - Research Paper
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Abstract

The white-rot fungus Pleurotus eryngii secretes various laccases involved in the degradation of a wide range of chemical compounds. Since the laccase production is relatively low in fungi, many efforts have been focused on finding ways to increase it, so in this study, we investigated the effect of copper on the transcription of the pel3 laccase gene and extracellular laccase activity. The results indicate that adding 0.5 to 2 mM copper to liquid cultures of P. eryngii KS004 increased both pel3 gene transcription and extracellular laccase activity in a concentration-dependent manner. The most significant increase in enzyme activity occurred at 1 mM Cu2+, where the peak activity was 4.6 times higher than in control flasks. Copper also induced the transcription of the laccase gene pel3. The addition of 1.5 and 2 mM Cu2+ to fungal culture media elevated pel3 transcript levels to more than 13-fold, although the rate of induction slowed down at Cu2+ concentrations higher than 1.5 mM. Our findings suggest that copper acts as an inducer in the regulation of laccase gene expression in P. eryngii KS004. Despite its inhibitory effect on fungal growth, supplementing cultures with copper can lead to an increased extracellular laccase production in P. eryngii.

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Funding

This work was partly supported by the research council of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad (Project number 3/47998).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology and Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

    Sara Sharghi, Farajollah Shahriari Ahmadi, Amin Mirshamsi Kakhki & Mohammad Farsi

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  1. Sara Sharghi
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  2. Farajollah Shahriari Ahmadi
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  3. Amin Mirshamsi Kakhki
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Correspondence to Farajollah Shahriari Ahmadi.

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Sharghi, S., Ahmadi, F.S., Kakhki, A.M. et al. Copper increases laccase gene transcription and extracellular laccase activity in Pleurotus eryngii KS004. Braz J Microbiol 55, 111–116 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-024-01257-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42770-024-01257-6

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