Comparison of static and agitated immobilized cultures of Phanerochaete chrysosporium for the degradation of pentachlorophenol and its metabolite pentachloroanisole

The transformation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) by Phanerochaete chrysosporium I-1512 in relation to pentachloroanisole (PCA) was studied in two different modes of culture. The degradation of PCP by immobilized cells in agitated medium was compared with that by static cultures. Results clearly established the advantage of an immobilized culture for mineralization of PCP: 23% of CO2 released for fungus immobilized on stainless steel mesh rings as compared with 11% for static cultures. PCA, a metabolite of PCP, was formed only in static cultures and underwent a limited mineralization. Moreover, experiments performed with mycelium and culture supernatant (in the presence of cycloheximide) clearly demonstrated that PCA formation was catalyzed by the biomass in static cultures of P. chrysosporium. Assays in vitro did not establish any involvement of lignin or manganese peroxidases in PCP or PCA transformation.