earticle

영어

Fungal degradation of phenol (and related aromatic compounds) has been well documented. However, the interactions between phenolic degradation products and metals have received little attention. Fungi are able to mobilize metals and metalloids from minerals by several mechanisms, including organic acid and/or proton excretion. Our work proposes an additional mechanism where the fungal metabolism of aromatic compounds could indirectly result in mineral transformations by abiotic reactions with resulting degradation products. We have isolated fungi which have the ability to degrade phenol at high concentrations and which could
also dissolve metal oxides during phenol degradation. It was found that catechol, one of the important intermediates of phenol degradation, was polymerized by cuprite and this polymerization caused toxic effects on fungi. TEM analysis and catechol 1,2 dioxygenase activity proved this hypothesis. We can conclude that interactions between organic and inorganic substances are complex and influenced by microbial activity, and these may have important effects on pollutant breakdown and transformation.