BIODEGRADATION OF POLYCHLORINATED-BIPHENYLS BY PLANT-CELLS

The PCB biodegradative ability of plant cells cultivated in vitro in m edia containing a mixture of PCB congeners, Delor 103, is demonstrated . For experiments we used submerged cultures of Armoracia rusticana, S olanum aviculare, Atropa bella-donna, transformed hairy root or embryo genic cultures of Solanum nigrum. Transformation of PCB was followed b y gas chromatography after cultivations of the above-mentioned culture s with Delor 103 (10 mg 100 ml(-1)). The overall PCB metabolizing capa bility and also degradation of individual congeners greatly differed f rom strain to strain. The highest capability to metabolize PCB was ass ayed with differentiated cultures of Beside the capability of PCB degr adation, total peroxidase activity in the medium and the cell extract was also followed. Differentiated or hairy root cultures exhibiting hi gher degradation abilities of PCB also showed increase of peroxidase a ctivities. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Limited.