In: Sydowia 68, (2016): 7-15 DOI 10.12905/0380.sydowia68-2016-0007 Published online on May 31st, 2016

Degradation of endosulfan by strains of Auricularia fuscosuccinea
Alfredo Francisco Yanez-Montalvo, José Ernesto Sánchez, Rafael Vazquez-Duhalt, Leopoldo Cruz-Lopez, María de los Angeles Calixto-Romo

Yanez-Montalvo A.F., Sánchez J.E., Vazquez-Duhalt R., Cruz-Lopez L. & Calixto-Romo M.A. (2016) Degradation of endosulfan by strains of Auricularia fuscosuccinea. – Sydowia 68: 7–15.

The insecticide endosulfan belongs to the organochloride group of pesticides, and is considered a priority pollutant. Four different strains of the white-rot fungi, Auricularia fuscosuccinea, were assayed for the transformation of endosulfan in a liquid medium, and the presence of ligninolytic enzymes during biodegradation was determined. The four strains are capable of metabolizing the insecticide in eight days, in a liquid culture at a temperature of 26 ºC. Only two strains produced ligninolytic enzymes: laccase and phenol oxidase. The cell-free culture extract transformed 90 % of the insecticide within eight days.

Keywords: organochlorides, bioremediation, phenol oxidase, laccase, white-rot fungi.