Trametes trogii, a white rot basidiomycete involved in wood decay worldwide, produces several ligninolytic enzymes, laccase being the dominant one, with higher titers than those reported for most other white rot fungi studied up to date. The effect of copper on in vitro production of extracellular ligninolytic activities was studied. CuSO(4)·5H(2)O concentrations from 1.6 μM to 1.5 mM were tested in a synthetic medium with glucose 20 g/L and asparagine 3 g/L. The addition of copper (up to 1 mM) did not affect growth but strongly stimulated ligninolytic enzyme production; faster decolorization of the polymeric dye Poly R-478 was observed as well. Maximal production of manganese peroxidase, laccase, and glyoxal oxidase [1.28 U/mL, 93.8 U/mL (with a specific activity of 720 U/mg protein), and 0.46 U/mL respectively] was attained with 1 mM CuSO(4)·5H(2)O. However, higher copper concentrations inhibited growth and notably decreased manganese peroxidase production, although they did not affect laccase secretion. Laccase activity in the culture filtrate was maximal at 50 C and pH 3.4, and the enzyme was completely stable at pH 4.4 and above, and at 30 C for up to 5 d. Denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of extracellular culture fluids showed two laccase activity bands (mol wt 38 and 60 kDa respectively). The pattern of isoenzyme production was not affected by medium composition but differed with culture age.