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Changes in mutagenicity during crude oil degradation by fungi

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Abstract

Two fungal strains, Cunninghamella elegans and Penicillium zonatum, that grow with crude oil as a sole carbon source were exposed to three crude oils that exhibit a range of mutagenic activity. At regular time intervals following fungal incubation with the various crude oils, extracts were tested for the presence of mutagenic activity using the spiral Salmonella assay. When the most mutagenic of the oils, Pennsylvania crude oil, was degraded by C. elegans or by P. zonatum, its mutagenicity was significantly reduced; corresponding uninoculated (weathered) controls of Pennsylvania crude remained mutagenic. West Texas Sour crude oil, a moderately mutagenic oil, exhibited little change in mutagenicity when incubated with either C. elegans or P. zonatum. Swanson River Field crude oil from Cook Inlet, Alaska is a slightly mutagenic oil that became more mutagenic when incubated with C. elegans; weathered controls of this oil showed little change in mutagenicity. Mycelial mat weights measured during growth on crude oils increased corresponding to the biodegradation of about 25% of the crude oil.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. North Carolina State University, 27695, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Linda E. Rudd & Jerome J. Perry

  2. United States Environmental Protection Agency, 27711, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

    Virginia S. Houk, Ron W. Williams & Larry D. Claxton

Authors
  1. Linda E. Rudd
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  2. Jerome J. Perry
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  3. Virginia S. Houk
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  4. Ron W. Williams
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  5. Larry D. Claxton
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Rudd, L.E., Perry, J.J., Houk, V.S. et al. Changes in mutagenicity during crude oil degradation by fungi. Biodegradation 7, 335–343 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00115747

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