Effect of nutritional factors on DDT-degradation by Mucor alternans.

Abstract

The effects of nutritional factors on the capacity of Mucor alternans to degrade 14C-DDT in shake cultures were investigated. Fungal spores did not grow in media that contained DDT as the sole carbon source, but they remained viable over a 2-month period and developed into a mycelium, once glucose had been added. The degradation of DDT by the fungus was not related to the mycelial mass. The quantity of water-soluble metabolites produced from DDT was, to some extent, dependent on the insecticide concentration, but largely on the carbon and nitrogen sources in the culture media. Largest quantities of the metabolites were formed with glucose and ammonium nitrate. The concentration of glucose affected this metabolism quantitatively. With the exception of ribose, growth on other sugars resulted in a decrease in the production of DDT-metabolites, which was most noticeable when maltose was used. No qualitative differences in the metabolites were observed. When ammonium nitrate was replaced with other nitrogen sources, the production of water-soluble metabolites was substantially reduced (35 to 75%) and qualitative differences in the appearance of metabolites were also observed.