EFFECTS OF ATRAZINE ON OCHROBACTRUM-ANTHROPI MEMBRANE FATTY-ACIDS

Ochrobactrum anthropi is a gram-negative bacillus recognized as a huma n opportunist pathogen isolated in clinical specimens and not of clini cal significance. We report a new aspect of this bacterium, that it ha s been isolated from activated sludge. In fact, it is able to grow on atrazine -chloro-4-ethylamino-6-isopropyl-amine-s-triazine) by utilizi ng it as the only source of carbon. Our results show that atrazine (0. 03 g/liter) causes a dramatical increase in the degree of saturation o f membrane fatty acids. Analysis and identification of bacterial fatty acids were performed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mas s spectrometry techniques.