Farnesol stimulates laccase production in Trametes versicolor

Abstract

Farnesol, a quorum-sensing molecule, was used successfully to improve laccase production in submerged cultures of Trametes versicolor. At the optimal farnesol concentration of 60 mu M added at the beginning of the culture, the extracellular laccase activity reached 629.3 U L-1 after 6 days of cultivation, which represented a 1.92-fold increase relative to the control without farnesol treatment. The addition of farnesol resulted in an increase in the accumulation of H2O2 and an increased expression of the laccase (lac) gene and the RhoAgene. The RhoAgene correlated with hyperbranched mycelia, which facilitated the secretion of the intracellular laccase. This study provides a basis for understanding the induction mechanism of farnesol for enhancing laccase production