Fungal degradation of fluorene

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 40; no. 1; pp. 91 - 97
• Main Authors: Garon, D, Krivobok, S, Seigle-Murandi, F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; aromatic hydrocarbons; Ascomycetes; Basidiomycetes; biodegradation; Biodegradation of pollutants; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; cultured cells; Cunninghamella; Decontamination. Miscellaneous; Deuteromycetes; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment and pollution; Exact sciences and technology; fluorene; Fluorenes - metabolism; Fluorenes - pharmacology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fungi - classification; Fungi - drug effects; Fungi - metabolism; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; metabolism; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; polycyclic hydrocarbons; Soil and sediments pollution; soil fungi; Soil Pollutants; species differences; Biodegradation; Microbial activity; Fluorene; Ecotoxicology; Hydrocarbon; Metabolite; Toxicity; In situ; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Soil pollution; Fungi; Decontamination; Model compound; Bioremediation; Degradation product; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/S0045-6535(99)00250-7

A selection of 30 strains of micromycetes known as good degraders of polychlorinated aromatic compounds, mostly isolated from soil and belonging to various taxonomic groups, have been investigated to degrade fluorene. Toxicity assays, first evaluated on solid media, have shown high growth inhibition at concentrations above 0.001 g l −1 only towards 23% of strains. Degradation of fluorene (0.005 g l −1) was then investigated in liquid synthetic medium for 2 days and evaluated by HPLC. Among the 30 strains tested, 12 could be considered as best degraders because of a rate of degradation at 60% or over. 3 strains of Cunninghamella genus were very efficient (mean of degradation: 96%) but different strains from Ascomycetes, Basidiomycetes and Deuteromycetes were also efficient. 11 strains are not yet reported in the literature: Aspergillus terreus, Bjerkandera adusta, Ceriporiopsis subvermispora, Colletotrichum dematium, Cryphonectria parasitica, Cunninghamella blakesleeana, C. echinulata, Drechslera spicifera, Embellisia annulata, Rhizoctonia solani and Sporormiella australis. A metabolic approach with standard compounds (9-fluorenol and 9-fluorenone) indicated the presence of these monooxygenated derivatives for most of the strains.