ISOLATION OF MICROORGANISMS WITH LIGNIN TRANSFORMATION POTENTIAL FROMSOIL OF TENERIFE ISLAND

A total of 44 fungi, 15 actinomycetes and 23 bacteria, isolated from f errallitic and fersiallitic types of soil of Tenerife (Canary Islands) were capable of abundant growth on solid media supplemented with the polymeric fraction of industrial lignin as a single C source. Of 44 fu ngal strains growth on the media with lignin, 22 showed a positive Sun dman's test and decolorization of polymeric dye Poly R-478. However, f rom the above 22 fungal strains, only Penicillium chrysogenum, Fusariu m oxysporum, Pestalotia oxyanthi, Fusarium solani and a strain of basi diomycete fungus gave positive results for peroxidase, Bavendamm, Nobl es, and laccase plate tests. Each of these 5 fungi metabolized hydroxy lated and non-hydroxylated lignin-related phenylpropanoid acids, eithe r as a single C source or in the presence of carbohydrate. These fungi were also capable of catabolizing lignin-model dehydrogenative polyme rizate of coniferyl alcohol (DHP). (CO2)-C-14 evolving both from C-14- labelled ring- and C-14-beta-side-chain labelled-DHP. The maximum rate of (CO2)-C-14 release by fungi imperfecti appeared to be during the i nitial stages of the metabolism of these fungi.