Cadmium induced hydrogen peroxide accumulation and responses of enzymatic antioxidants in Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The white-rot fungi Phanerochaete chrysosporium have been widely applied in heavy metal bioremediation, which commonly results in a stress exposure. Exposure studies showed that Cd bioaccumulation triggered H2O2 generation. Thereafter, the H2O2, as signal molecules, activated the enzymatic antioxidant response in the case of the conjunction of SOD and CAT. High levels of R (SOD/CAT) were found initially under Cd exposure, and then a significant decline occurred in time-course Cd exposure. Antioxidant activities also provided an alternative as an indication of the existence of antioxidant response upon Cd exposure, via coupling H2O2 level with the variation in antioxidant activities. This finding potentially has implications for the understanding of tolerance behavior and detoxification mechanisms, which is beneficial to expand the application of P. chrysosporium in bioremediation biotechnology.