ENHANCEMENT OF MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE DEGRADINGABILITY IN Lentinula edodes BY AUTOPOLYPLOIDIZATION AT REDUCED TEMPERATURE

This study aimed to enhance the degrading ability of microcrystalline cellulose in the mycelia of the mushroom Lentinula edodes. The mycelia were incubated in an autopolyploidization medium containing colchicine for more than 1 week at low temperature. After incubation, many larger nuclei (autopolyploid nuclei) were observed in the mycelia.Mycelial mats were then incubated on agar medium containing 0.5% (w/v) microcrystalline cellulose for 2 weeks at 26 °C, followed by incubation at 50 °C. Under these conditions, almost all of the microcrystalline cellulose in the agar medium was degraded by the colchicine-treated strain, and the white agar plate turned transparent. This phenomenon was not observed in the original strain.Similarly, Trichoderma reesei QM 9414 strain produced no transparent zone under the same incubation conditions.It appears that the degrading ability of microcrystalline cellulose can be enhanced in L. edodes by autopolyploidization at reduced temperatures.