A protein complex bearing an oxidase with napthalene dihydrodiol dehydrogenase activity is induced in Mucor circinelloides strain YR-1 during growth on polycyclic aromatic compounds.

Fungi are organisms capable of growing in a myriad of conditions and respond to counteract environmental cues. Several locations in the world are polluted with oil and its derivatives, and some microorganisms tolerant to these compounds have been isolated. Some fungi can grow in the presence of molecules such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons as sole carbon sources.

Analysis of glycerol dehydrogenase activities present in Mucor circinelloides YR-1.

Two inducible NADP(+)-dependent glycerol dehydrogenase (GlcDH) activities were identified in Mucor circinelloides strain YR-1. One of these, denoted iGlcDH2, was specifically induced by n-decanol when it was used as sole carbon source in the culture medium, and the second, denoted iGlcDH1, was induced by alcohols and aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbons when glycerol was used as the only substrate. iGlcDH2 was found to have a much broader substrate specificity than iGlcDH1, with a low activity as an ethanol dehydrogenase with NAD(+) or NADP(+) as cofactor.

Intracellular distribution of fatty alcohol oxidase activity in Mucor circinelloides YR-1 isolated from petroleum contaminated soils.

In previous studies, Mucor circinelloides YR-1 isolated from petroleum-contaminated soils grown in decane as sole carbon source, showed fatty alcohol oxidase (FAO) activities in either particulate or soluble fractions from a cell-free extract. One is associated to internal membranes (mFAO) and the other one is soluble (sFAO). Both activities appear to be located in the cells in specific compartments other than peroxisomes.

Detection of NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase activities in YR-1 strain of Mucor circinelloides, a potential bioremediator of petroleum contaminated soils.

Different soluble NAD+-dependent alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) isozymes were detected in cell-free homogenates from aerobically grown mycelia of YR-1 strain of Mucor circinelloides isolated from petroleum- contaminated soil samples. Depending on the carbon source present in the growth media, multiple NAD+-dependent ADHs were detected when hexadecane or decane was used as the sole carbon source in the culture media. ADH activities from aerobically or anaerobically grown mycelium or yeast cells, respectively, were detected when growth medium with glucose added was the sole carbon source; the enzyme activity exhibited optimum pH for the oxidation of different alcohols (methanol, ethanol, and hexadecanol) similar to that of the corresponding aldehyde (approximately 7.