Productivity of hydrolytic enzymes by mycorrhizal mushrooms

To survey the potential for production of extracellular hydrolytic enzymes by mycorrhizal mushrooms, productivities of these exo-enzymes from mycelia on potato-dextrose liquid medium were determined. Tricholoma matsutake produced relatively high levels of CM-cellulase and avicelase activities in all test strains. It also produced higher activity of acid proteinase than neutral proteinase. Its xylanase activities seemed to be higher than those of the other carbohydrases. The productivities of Lyophyilum shimeji strains were at similar levels to those of T, matsutake strains. CM-cellulase and avicelase activities of L. shimeji were higher than those of T, matsutake. Neutral proteinase in L. shimeji strains showed higher activity levels than acid proteinase. The relative productivities of hydrolytic enzymes between the groups of mycorrhizal mushrooms and wood-rotting mushrooms were also examined. T. matsutake and L. shimeji both produce many kinds of hydrolytic enzymes in their culture broth, and the potential for production of hydrolytic enzymes by mycorrhizal mushrooms was judged to be relatively high.