From fungal detoxification systems to wood durability in neotropical forests
Résumé
White-rot fungi are able to mineralize all the wood components due in particular to an efficient detoxification system. We hypothesised that components of this detoxification systems, glutathione transferases, could be used as tools to explore the natural durability of neotropical wood species. Analysis of the interactions between six glutathione transferases of Trametes versicolor and extracts of 21 wood species from French Guiana revealed a positive correlation between natural durability of the tested wood species (soil tests) and these interactions (Glutathione Transferase Assay). The obtained data suggest that the developed biochemical test could be used to estimate wood natural durability.