Improved enzyme production by co-cultivation of Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae and with other fungi

Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae were co-cultivated with each other and with Magnaporthe grisea or Phanerochaete chrysosporium, respectively. Enzyme assays for plant polysaccharide and lignin-degrading enzymes showed that co-cultivation can improve extracellular enzyme production. Highest β-glucosidase, α-cellobiohydrolase, β-galactosidase, and laccase activities were found for A. oryzae in combination with other fungi, in particular with P. chrysosporium. Highest β-xylosidase activity was obtained when A. niger was co-cultivated with P. chrysosporium. SDS-PAGE protein profiles demonstrated that A. niger and A. oryzae contributed most to the overall enzyme activities found in the culture medium of the mixed cultivations. These data demonstrate that co-cultivation of two major industrial fungi, A. niger and A. oryzae, results in improved production of biotechnologically relevant enzymes.