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To obtain white rot fungi which have selective delignification capacity and can be used in biopulping processes, 94 different wood rotting fungi were screened and the capabilities of selected species were evaluated on deciduous and coniferous wood blocks. White rot fungi, first of all, were selected by simple enzyme tests, i.e., cellulase activity test; phenol oxidase activity test; laccase and peroxidase activity test. Most organisms that gave a positive Bevendamm gave a strongly positive laccase test with syringaldazine whereas most of those that gave a negative Bavendamm test also negative test for laccase and peroxidase, even if some exceptions were noted. Wood decay experiment were carried out to select fungal species with selective lignin-degrading ability by inoculating selected fungi to both wood blocks of Populus tomentiglandulosa and Larix leptolepis. After 12 weeks of incubation, weight losses, lignin losses, and morphological characteristics of the decayed wood were investigated. Almost all fungi tested caused 2 or more times of weight losses in P. tomentiglandulosa than in L. leptolepis, while no weight losses were detected from the un-inoculated wood blocks. Ceriporiopsis subvermispora and Phanerochaete chrysosporium were the best delignifiers for both hardwood and softwood. P. chrysosporium, however, was less effective than C. subvermispora. Bjerkandera adusta and two unidentified spp. caused delignification for only P. tomentiglandulosa. B. adusta caused simultaneous rot of all cell wall components, resulted in thinning of the secondary cell wall layers. Other fungi caused selective delignification resulting in the removal of lignin from middle lamella and separation of cells from each other.
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