Volume 4, Number 4, pp. 181-184
A study of the vitality of microorganisms capable of degrading 2,4-dichlorophe-noxyacetic acid as characterized by NO excretion
T. Berishvili, M. Gurielidze, Ch. Kakhniashvili and D. Pataraya
Durmishidze Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Georgian Academy of Sciences, D. Agmasheneblis Kheivani 10 km, 0159 Tbilisi, GeorgiaThe vitality of three active strains of actinomycetes in a nutrient medium containing 2,4-D as characterized by NO excretion has been studied. In all cases, the addition of 2,4-D to the nutrient medium enhances the ability of these microorganisms to grow and develop. Streptomyces caniferus grows most intensely on a medium containing the herbicide and is distinguished by the largest biomass formation. On the nutrient medium where 2,4-D is the sole source of carbon, the lowest excretion of NO is found. For Streptomyces coeruleus by the 9th day, however, the index of NO excretion almost equalled that of the control without herbicide. It is therefore postulated that these actinomycetes assimilate significant quantities of 2,4-D as both carbon and energy.
Keywords: actinomycetes, herbicide, 2,4-D, nitric oxide