Abstract
Samples of mycelium-colonized compost were taken from cultures of the edible mushroom, Agaricus bisporus during fruit body development. The steady-state levels of messenger RNA for led and cel3 genes were assessed by the use of Northern blot and competitive PCR analysis. The level of the laccase transcripts, for lcc1 was greatest in colonized cultures prior to fruiting, declined to non-detectable levels during fruiting and increased after harvesting and in second flush cultures. For the cel3 gene no transcripts were detectable from colonized pre-fruiting cultures. Levels rose to a maximum at the fruit body veil break stage, declined, and then increased again in the second flush. Gene expression for laccase and cellulase therefore correlates directly to the measurable level of extracellular enzyme activity.
