White Rot Fungi as Tools for the Bioremediation of Xenobiotics: A Review.

Industrial development has enhanced the release into the environment of large quantities of chemical compounds with high toxicity and limited prospects of degradation. The pollution of soil and water with xenobiotic chemicals has become a major ecological issue; therefore, innovative treatment technologies need to be explored. Fungal bioremediation is a promising technology exploiting their metabolic potential to remove or lower the concentrations of xenobiotics. In particular, white rot fungi (WRF) are unique microorganisms that show high capacities to degrade a wide range of toxic xenobiotic compounds such as synthetic dyes, chlorophenols, polychlorinated biphenyls, organophosphate pesticides, explosives and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). In this review, we address the main classes of enzymes involved in the fungal degradation of organic pollutants, the main mechanisms used by fungi to degrade these chemicals and the suitability of fungal biomass or extracellular enzymes for bioremediation. We also exemplify the role of several fungi in degrading pollutants such as synthetic dyes, PAHs and emerging pollutants such as pharmaceuticals and perfluoroalkyl/polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Finally, we discuss the existing current limitations of using WRF for the bioremediation of polluted environments and future strategies to improve biodegradation processes.

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by native Ganoderma sp. strains: identification of metabolites and proposed degradation pathways.

Since polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are mutagenic, teratogenic, and carcinogenic, they are of considerable environmental concern. A biotechnological approach to remove such compounds from polluted ecosystems could be based on the use of white-rot fungi (WRF). The potential of well-adapted indigenous Ganoderma strains to degrade PAHs remains underexplored. Seven native Ganoderma sp. strains with capacity to produce high levels of laccase enzymes and to degrade synthetic dyes were investigated for their degradation potential of PAHs. The crude enzymatic extracts produced by Ganoderma strains differentially degraded the PAHs assayed (naphthalene 34-73%, phenanthrene 9-67%, fluorene 11-64%). Ganoderma sp. UH-M was the most promising strain for the degradation of PAHs without the addition of redox mediators. The PAH oxidation performed by the extracellular enzymes produced more polar and soluble metabolites such as benzoic acid, catechol, phthalic and protocatechuic acids, allowing us to propose degradation pathways of these PAHs. This is the first study in which breakdown intermediates and degradation pathways of PAHs by a native strain of Ganoderma genus were determined. The treatment of PAHs with the biomass of this fungal strain enhanced the degradation of the three PAHs. The laccase enzymes played an important role in the degradation of these compounds; however, the role of peroxidases cannot be excluded. Ganoderma sp. UH-M is a promising candidate for the bioremediation of ecosystems polluted with PAHs.

Diversity of Ligninolytic Enzymes and Their Genes in Strains of the Genus Ganoderma: Applicable for Biodegradation of Xenobiotic Compounds?

White-rot fungi (WRF) and their ligninolytic enzymes (laccases and peroxidases) are considered promising biotechnological tools to remove lignin related Persistent Organic Pollutants from industrial wastewaters and contaminated ecosystems. A high diversity of the genus Ganoderma has been reported in Cuba; in spite of this, the diversity of ligninolytic enzymes and their genes remained unexplored. In this study, 13 native WRF strains were isolated from decayed wood in urban ecosystems in Havana (Cuba). All strains were identified as Ganoderma sp. using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-method based on ITS sequences. All Ganoderma sp. strains produced laccase enzymes at higher levels than non-specific peroxidases. Native-PAGE of extracellular enzymatic extracts revealed a high diversity of laccase isozymes patterns between the strains, suggesting the presence of different amino acid sequences in the laccase enzymes produced by these Ganoderma strains. We determined the diversity of genes encoding laccases and peroxidases using a PCR and cloning approach with basidiomycete-specific primers. Between two and five laccase genes were detected in each strain. In contrast, only one gene encoding manganese peroxidase or versatile peroxidase was detected in each strain. The translated laccases and peroxidases amino acid sequences have not been described before. Extracellular crude enzymatic extracts produced by the Ganoderma UH strains, were able to degrade model chromophoric compounds such as anthraquinone and azo dyes. These findings hold promises for the development of a practical application for the treatment of textile industry wastewaters and also for bioremediation of polluted ecosystems by well-adapted native WRF strains.