In vitro response of Heterobasidion annosum to manganese

Abstract

Manganese (Mn) is postulated to play a role in wood decay caused by certain basidiomycetes. We determined the in vitro response of Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref. to Mn and compared differences between three isolates each of the S and the P intersterility groups from the Western United States.On manganese-amended malt agar plates, H. annosum produced a brownish-black pigment that increased with increasing concentration of Mn (1, 5, and 10 mM).The amount of pigment production varied among the isolates, but isolates of the S group clearly produced more pigment than those of the P group.In pigmented areas, hyphae appeared to be packed with black granules, and brownish-black granules/crystals were present in the medium.The black pigment implicates the presence of MnO2, potentially resulting from the activity of Mn-dependent peroxidase (MnP).An assay for MnP did not detect the enzyme in crude culture filtrates of a chemically defined, nitrogen-limited, buffered medium of the six isolates.The differential response of S and P group isolates to Mn raises questions about a role for this transition metal in H. annosum physiology.

Citation

Otrosina, W.J.; Illman, B.L. 1994. In vitro response of Heterobasidion annosum to manganese. Pages 38-41 in Proc. 4th Southern Station Chemical Sciences Meeting, Starkville, MS. GTR-SO-104.