Characterization and comparative evaluation of fungi resistant to PAHs collected in Lithuania and their consortia

The screening and the selection of efficient lignin-degrading fungi are stages of significant importance for their further application in the bioremediation of matrices contaminated by polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), coal tar and creosote. This research aims to assess the potential in bioremediation of a group of eight fungal strains, previously collected in various Lithuanian habitats and selected for their resistance to PAHs and coal tar, by means of characterizing their ability to produce ligninolytic enzymes and their capability to generate a synergistic effect while co-cultured. The interactions in all the 36 possible pairs created from the eight isolates and the reference strain Pleurotus ostreatus SMR684 were investigated to assess the suitability for co-growth and the possibility to increase the production of ligninolytic enzymes. The applied methodology based on simple and relatively fast procedures appears to be valuable to give a preliminary evaluation of the modifications in the biomass development and ligninolytic enzyme production and for the determination of possible consortia of fungi. The consortia of Pleurotus sp. with Schizophyllum sp. and Irpex lacteus with Bjerkandera adusta, Fomitopsis pinicola and Pleurotus sp., have shown an increase in the ligninolytic enzymatic activity and demonstrated to be the most promising for further applications.