Structural close-related aromatic compounds have different effects on laccase activity and on lcc gene expression in the ligninolytic fungus Trametes sp. I-62

• Published in: Fungal genetics and biology Vol. 41; no. 10; pp. 954 - 962
• Main Authors: Terrón, María C., González, Tania, Carbajo, José M., Yagüe, Susana, Arana-Cuenca, Ainhoa, Téllez, Alejandro, Dobson, Alan D.W., González, Aldo E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-10-2004
• Subjects: Aromatic compounds; Basidiomycetes; Coumaric Acids - pharmacology; Enzyme Activators - pharmacology; Gene differential expression; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Fungal - drug effects; Genes, Fungal; Guaiacol - pharmacology; Hydrocarbons, Aromatic - pharmacology; Hydroxybenzoates - pharmacology; Isoenzymes - genetics; Laccase - biosynthesis; Laccase - metabolism; Laccase gene expression; Laccase inducers; Phenols - pharmacology; Polyporales - enzymology; Polyporales - genetics; Propionates; Resorcinols; RNA, Fungal - analysis; RNA, Fungal - biosynthesis; RNA, Messenger - analysis; RNA, Messenger - biosynthesis; Trametes; Transcription, Genetic; White-rot basidiomycetes; Gene differential expression; Laccase inducers; White-rot basidiomycetes; Aromatic compounds; Laccase gene expression
• ISSN: 1087-1845; 1096-0937
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fgb.2004.07.002

Nine phenolic compounds (
p-coumaric acid, ferulic acid, guaiacol, syringol,
p-methoxyphenol, pyrocatechol, phloroglucinol, 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, and syringaldazine) were tested for their ability to increase laccase production in the ligninolytic basidiomycete
Trametes sp. I-62. All these compounds resulted in increases in laccase activity, with the highest levels being detected in the presence of
p-coumaric acid (273-fold) and guaiacol (73-fold). The three laccase isozyme genes in this fungus
lcc1,
lcc2, and
lcc3 are differentially expressed in the presence of some of these aromatics with total
lcc transcript levels differing markedly depending on the aromatic compound tested. Guaiacol (the best inducer of
lcc gene transcription) and
p-coumaric acid selectively induced expression of
lcc1 and
lcc2; ferulic acid induced
lcc3 expression, while 3,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid had no marked effect on laccase gene transcription. The results demonstrate that close-related aromatic compounds appear to have different effects on both laccase activity levels and
lcc gene expression in this basidiomycete.