Abstract
An isolate of Aspergillus fumigatus, present at high frequency in compost samples from sewage sludge from Madrid, was analysed for tolerance and adaptation to copper. Although high copper concentrations (350 mg 1−1) inhibited fungal growth, training the fungus by successive sub-culturing in media containing progressively higher copper concentrations resulted in the fungus being able to grow in a medium containing 50 mg l−1 more copper than when it was not trained. Changes in some morphological features were also observed following training. Copper negatively affected two parameters of fungal growth, specific growth rate (μ) and lag-phase. Protein patterns obtained by SDS-PAGE of control and copper-amended cultures of A. fumigatus were compared and one protein of 20.2 kDa appeared to be specifically associated with the presence of copper in cultures.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aelion CM, Swindoll CM, Pfaender FK (1987) Adaptation to and biodegradation of xenobiotic compounds by microbial communities from a pristine aquifer. Appl Environ Microbiol 53: 2212–2217
Burge WD, Cramer WN, Epstein E (1976) Pathogens in sewage sludge and sludge compost. In: American Society for Agricultural Engineering Symposium on biological impact of waste application to land (paper no 76–2559 ). American Society for Agricultural Engineering, Chicago
Clark CS, Bjornson HS, Schwartz-Fulton J, Holland JW, Gartside PS (1984) Biological health risks associated with the composting of wastewater treatment plant sludge. J WPCF 56 (12): 1269–1276
Colacicco D, Epstein E, Willson GB, Parr JF, Christensen LA (1977) Costs of sludge composting, vol 79. US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service-Northeast, Washington, DC
Cristóbal F (1998) Destino final de fangos de depuración. In: XVI Curso sobre tratamiento de aguas residuales y explotación de estaciones depuradoras, chapter 19. Centro de Publicaciones de la Secretaria General Técnica del Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Madrid
Gadd GM, Griffiths AJ (1978) Microorganisms and heavy metal toxicity. Microb Ecol 4: 303–317
Garcia-Toledo A, Babich H, Stotzky G (1985) Training of Rhizopus stolonifer and Cunninghamella blakesleeana. Can J Microbiol 31: 485–492
Laemmli UK (1970) Cleavage of structural proteins during the assembly of the head of bacteriophage T4. Nature 227: 680–685
Lilly WW, Wallweber GJ, Lukefahr TA (1992) Cadmium absorption and its effects on growth and mycelial morphology of the basidiomycete fungus, Schizophyllum commune. Microbios 72: 227–237
Macara IG (1978) Accommodation of yeast to toxic levels of cadmium ions. J Gen Appl Microbiol 104: 321–324
Mandai TK, Baldrian P, Gabriel J, Nerud F, Zadrazil F (1998) Effect of mercury on the growth of wood-rotting basidiomycetes Pleurotus ostreatus, Picnoporus cinnabarinus and Serpula lacrymans. Chemosphere 36: 435–440
Miller FC (1992) Composting as a process based on the control of ecologically selective factors. In: Applications in agricultural and environmental management. M Dekker, New York, pp 515–544
Millner PD, Marsh PB, Snowden RB, Parr JF (1977) Occurrence of Aspergillus fumigatus during composting of sewage sludge. Appl Environ Microbiol 34: 765–772
Parry KE, Wood RKS (1958) The adaptation of fungi to fungicides: adaptation to copper and mercury salts. Ann Appl Biol 46: 446–456
Rózycki H (1992) Effect of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Cu and Cd) on germination of conidia of Cylindrocarpon bari f. destructans (Zinssm.) Scholten. Zbl Microbiol 147: 261–269
Wilhelmi BS, Duncan JR (1995) Metal recovery from Saccharomyces cerevisiae biosorption columns. Biotechnol Lett 17: 1007–1012
Willson GB, Epstein E, Parr JF (1977) Recent advances in compost technology. Proc of the Nat Conf on Sludge Management, Disposal and Utilization. Information Transfer, Rockville, MD, pp 162–177
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2002 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Errasquín, E.L., Patiño, B., Fernández, R.M., Vázquez, C. (2002). Occurrence of Aspergillus fumigatus in a Compost Polluted with Heavy Metals. In: Insam, H., Riddech, N., Klammer, S. (eds) Microbiology of Composting. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-08724-4_40
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-08724-4_40
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-08705-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-08724-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive