Ectomycorrhizal fungi isolated from old-growth northern hardwood forest display variability in extracellular enzyme activity in the presence of plant litter

We examined whether ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi produce extracellular enzymes in culture and whether leaf litter addition affected production. We found little consistency in enzyme production among ECM fungi. Most fungi produced substantial levels of acid phosphatase and levels for many ECM fungi were equivalent to saprotrophic fungi. However, saprotrophic fungi had higher chitinase levels than ECM fungi. Some ECM fungi (e.g. Russula) produced levels of oxidative enzymes that were equivalent to saprotrophic fungi. Our results suggest enzyme activity varies greatly among ECM fungi with some species producing enzymes at levels equivalent to saprotrophic fungi.