Enhancement of Laccase Production from Wood-Rotting Fungus by Co-Culture with Trichoderma longibrachiatum

This work aimed to evaluate the influence of culture conditions on laccase production in the co-culture of wood-rotting fungus with Trichoderma sp.The effects of infection extent, infection time, and culture filtrate of Trichoderma sp. on the laccase production by wood-rotting fungus in co-culture were examined.T. rubrum LKY-7 and T. longibrachiatum were selected as fungi which are effective in co-culture for laccase production.A significant increase in laccase activity was observed when T. rubrum LKY-7 was co-cultured with T. longibrachiatum in glucose-peptone liquid medium, yielding an increase of more than 5 times in laccase activity, as compared with control.Laccase production by T. rubrum LKY-7 during co-culturing was significantly influenced by the infection extent and the infection time of T. longibrachiatum.Maximal laccase activity was obtained when T. rubrum LKY-7 culture was infected by T. longibrachiatum after 3 days of cultivation at an inoculum size ratio of 0.5 to 1.The addition of culture filtrate or autoclaved mycelium of T. longibrachiatum to T. rubrum LKY-7 culture did not significantly enhance laccase production by T. rubrum LKY-7 as compared with control (mono cultures of T. rubrum LKY-7).