Journal of Microbiological Methods

Selection and validation of enzymatic activities as functional markers in wood biotechnology and fungal ecology.

15 February 2013, Vol.92(2):157–163, doi:10.1016/j.mimet.2012.11.017.

• Yann Mathieu ^a,b
• Eric Gelhaye ^c
• Stéphane Dumarçay ^d
• Philippe Gérardin ^d
• Luc Harvengt ^b
• Marc Buée ^a,,

• aINRA, UMR1136 INRA Université de Lorraine “Interactions Arbres/Micro-organismes,” IFR110 EFABA, Centre INRA de Nancy, 54280 Champenoux, France
• bFCBA, Equipe Génétique et Biotechnologie, Pôle Recherche Forêt-Bois de Pierroton, 71 Route d'Arcachon (RD1250) F-33610 Cestas, France
• cUniversité de Lorraine, UMR1136 INRA Université de Lorraine “Interactions Arbres/Micro-organismes,” IFR 110 EFABA, Faculté des Sciences BP 239, 54506 Vandoeuvre Cedex, France
• dLERMAB—Faculté des Sciences et Technologies, Université de Lorraine B.P. 70239 F-54506 Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France

Received 5 October 2012. Revised 20 November 2012. Accepted 24 November 2012. Available online 30 November 2012.

Abstract

The dead wood and forest soils are sources of diversity and under-explored fungal strains with biotechnological potential, which require to be studied. Numerous enzymatic tests have been proposed to investigate the functional potential of the soil microbial communities or to test the functional abilities of fungal strains. Nevertheless, the diversity of these functional markers and their relevance in environmental studies or biotechnological screening does still have not been demonstrated. In this work, we assessed ten different extracellular enzymatic activities involved in the wood decaying process including β-etherase that specifically cleaves the β-aryl ether linkages in the lignin polymer. For this purpose, a collection of 26 fungal strains, distributed within three ecological groups (white, brown and soft rot fungi), has been used. Among the ten potential functional markers, the combinatorial use of only six of them allowed separation between the group of white and soft rot fungi from the brown rot fungi. Moreover, our results suggest that extracellular β-etherase is a rare and dispensable activity among the wood decay fungi. Finally, we propose that this set of markers could be useful for the analysis of fungal communities in functional and environmental studies, and for the selection of strains with biotechnological interests.

Highlights

 Ten enzymatic activities involved in the wood decaying process have been tested with 26 lignocellulolytic fungal strains. ► The β-etherase activity, that cleaves the β-aryl ether linkages, was looked up in the fungal collection. ► Our results suggest that extracellular β-etherase is a rare and dispensable activity among the wood decay fungi. ► The use of only six activities allowed separation between the group of white/soft rot fungi from the brown rot fungi.

• Corresponding author at: INRA, UMR INRA—Université de Lorraine “Interactions Arbres/Micro-Organismes,” Equipe “Ecogénomique des Interactions,” Centre INRA de Nancy, 54280 Champenoux, France. Tel.: + 33 3 83 39 40 72; fax: + 33 3 83 39 40 69.

Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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