Patent ID: 7135184

Claim:
A culture from a strain belonging to the genus Flammulina , wherein the culture has phenol oxidase-like activity and at least one substrate specificity selected from the group consisting of {circle around (1)} to {circle around (5)}: {circle around (1)} catalyzing an oxidative decolorization reaction [decolorization activity] of each of: Evans' Blue represented by the formula (I): Acid Blue 80 represented by the formula (II): Remazol Brilliant Blue R represented by the formula (III): Acid Violet 17 represented by the formula (IV): {circle around (2)} catalyzing oxidative degradation reaction [oxidative degradation activity] for lignin; {circle around (3)} catalyzing oxidative polymerization reaction [oxidative polymerization activity] of Indigo Carmine represented by the formula (V): Natural Orange 6 represented by the formula (VI): {circle around (4)} catalyzing oxidative coupling reaction [oxidative coupling activity] of 4-aminoantipyrine with one kind of a compound selected from the group consisting of phenolic compounds, aminophenolic compounds, diaminophenolic compounds and heterocyclic compounds; and {circle around (5)} catalyzing direct oxidative reaction [direct oxidation activity] of one kind of a compound selected from the group consisting of phenolic compounds, aminophenolic compounds, diaminophenolic compounds and heterocyclic compounds, wherein the culture is obtainable by culturing a strain belonging to the genus Flammulina under pH conditions exceeding a pH of 7, and removing hyphae from the resulting culture medium.