MICROBIAL-DEGRADATION OF TOXIC, ENVIRONMENTAL-POLLUTANTS - ECOLOGICALAND EVOLUTIONARY CONSIDERATIONS

Microorganisms are the major scavengers in nature, responsible for rec ycling most natural waste materials into harmless compounds. When face d with an increasing array of synthetic compounds, such as various chl orinated compounds manufactured by the chemical industry for use as he rbicides/pesticides, industrial solvents, refrigerants, etc., the micr oorganisms attempt to evolve new genes, particularly for simple lowly chlorinated compounds, encoding enzymes that use the chlorinated compo unds as their primary substrates. An understanding of how new biodegra dative genes evolve in nature is therefore of the utmost importance to enhance the rate and the range of biodegradative processes. The vario us parameters that influence both natural as well as selective evoluti onary processes ave discussed.