Studies on xylanase from Basidiomycetes. Selection of strains for the production of xylanase.

Formation of extracellular xylanase was studied in 10 strains of wood-destroying fungi belonging to Basidiomycetes during their submerged cultivation with willow sawdust. The highest enzyme activity was found in the fungus Trametes hirsuta (Wulf.) Pilát. The effect of sources of carbon and nitrogen, cultivation time and initial pH of the cultivation solution on the formation of xylanase by the fungus Trametes hirsuta was investigated. The highest production of the enzyme was reached during cultivation in the presence of willow sawdust, asparagine and at the initial pH of 5.0. The presence of xylanase, cellulase, mannanase and amylase as well as of beta-xylosidase, beta-glucosidase, beta-mannosidase and beta-galactosidase was demonstrated in the enzyme preparation obtained after a 10-day submerged cultivation of Trametes hirsuta under optimal conditions.