EFFECT OF NITROGEN AND CARBON-SOURCES ON LIGNIN AND CELLULOSE DEGRADATION BY ARMILLARIA-OSTOYAE

Lignin has been hypothesized to be the primary mechanism of resistance to fungal pathogens in plant tissue. Degradation of lignin and cellulose by Armillaria ostoyae cultured for six weeks in Melin-Norkrans medium containing various nitrogen and carbon sources was measured radiometrically. No consistent pattern of lignin or cellulose degradation was found, regardless of A. ostoyae isolate, nitrogen source and concentration, or carbon concentration. More lignin was degraded as the concentration of glucose and fructose increased but not when the concentration of sucrose increased.