Relationship between the biodegradative capability of soil micromycetes for pentachlorophenol and for pentachloronitrobenzene.

A collection of 1056 strains in our laboratory were incubated with various xenobiotics among which were two potent fungicides: pentachlorophenol (PCP) and pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB). The production of extracellular phenoloxidases were examined, using a series of ten different reagents. On the whole, PCNB is less accessible to fungal degradation than PCP. Although no correlation was found between the biodegradative capability of individual fungal strains for PCP or for PCNB, when taxonomic groups were considered as a whole, the same activity profiles were found. Zygomycetes were the most efficient; yeasts the least efficient towards both substrates. A more detailed study of the metabolism of both substrates on selected strains is in progress.