Biotechnology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4705, USA.
Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 1997;4(1):16-20. doi: 10.1007/BF02986258.
Two synthetic superabsorbent crosslinked acrylic polymers were mineralized by the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium. The amount of polymer converted to CO(2) increased as the amount of polymer added to the cultures increased. In the presence of sufficiently large amounts of the superabsorbents, such that all of the culture fluid was absorbed and a gelatinous matrix was formed, the fungus still grew and mineralization was observed. Neither the polymers, nor their degradation products were toxic to the fungus. While the rates of mineralization were low, all of the polymers incubated in the liquid fungal cultures were completely depolymerized to water soluble products within 15-18 days. The depolymerization of the polymers was observed only in nitrogen limited cultures of the fungus which secrete the lignin degradation system, however, the water soluble products of depolymerization were mineralized in both nutrient limited and sufficient cultures of the fungus. The rate of mineralization of the depolymerized metabolites was more than two times greater in nutrient sufficient cultures. Following longer incubation periods, most (> 80 %) of the radioactivity was recovered in the fungal mycelial mat suggesting that carbon of the polymer had been converted to fungal metabolites.
两种合成的高吸水性交联丙烯酸聚合物被白腐真菌 Phanerochaete chrysosporium 矿化。随着添加到培养物中的聚合物数量的增加，转化为 CO(2) 的聚合物数量增加。在存在足够大量的高吸水性聚合物的情况下，所有的培养液都被吸收并且形成了凝胶状基质，真菌仍然生长并且观察到矿化。聚合物及其降解产物对真菌均无毒性。尽管矿化速率较低，但在液体真菌培养物中孵育的所有聚合物在 15-18 天内均完全解聚为水溶性产物。仅在分泌木质素降解系统的真菌的氮限制培养物中观察到聚合物的解聚，然而，水溶性解聚产物在真菌的营养限制和充足的培养物中均被矿化。在营养充足的培养物中，解聚代谢物的矿化速率要快两倍以上。经过更长的孵育时间，大多数 (>80%)放射性物质回收在真菌菌丝体垫中，表明聚合物的碳已转化为真菌代谢物。
