Screening of Colletotrichum isolates from the Amazon biodiversity as producers of laccases using a simple methodology

Abstract

This work presents a simple and rapid technique to select fungal strains with the ability to produce laccases. Fifteen strains of Colletotrichum spp. from the Amazon region (isolated from cumarú, puerária, cupuaçu and weed plants), as well as a strain isolated from "espinheira santa" in the south of Brazil, were found to produce laccases. Laccase activity was assayed using ABTS and DMP as putative substrates. Only Colletotrichum isolates of puero (P2 and P3) did not present activity towards DMP. Isolates D3 (weed plants), M3 (espinheira santa), C2 and C3 (cumarú) were selected, and were compared with the basidiomycete Pleurotus ostreatus used as a reference laccase producer under stationary and submerged culture conditions. Highest laccase activity was detected only in the stationary cultures of Colletotrichum isolate D3 assayed against ABTS (35 U/l) and DMP (8 U/l).