ISOLATION, SELECTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A CYANIDE-DEGRADING FUNGUS FROM AN INDUSTRIAL EFFLUENT

Amongst 14 fungi isolates from a cyanide-containing industrial effluen t, a strain of Fusarium oxysporum developed a particularly high tolera nce for cyanide when incubated in a medium containing cyanide. Toleran ce apparently involves the ability of the fungus to convert cyanide to non-toxic formamide by formamide hydro-lyase enzyme. The contribution of the alternate cyanide insensitive respiratory system to ensure the formamide hydro-lyase induction was assessed. When the cytochromes we re blocked and the cyanide-insensitive respiratory pathway accounted f or 100% of the oxygen uptake associated with respiration, formamide hy dro-lyase activity was positively correlated with activity of alternat e pathway. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Limited.