Monday, October 29, 2012
Induced cells of Rhodococcus rhodochrous DAP 96253 are inhibitory to spore germination of selected fungal species. Using various experimental setups, including co-culturing and a one-directional airflow system, it was shown that Rhodococcus is inhibitory to germination of A. niger spores, whether airspace was shared or separated. Inhibition of sporulation was determined by recovery assays which were performed with each induction condition tested.
Furthermore, induced cells of R. rhodochrous DAP 96253 also exhibited increased cyanide metabolism, as compared to that of uninduced Rhodococcus. Several strains of uninduced Rhodococcus were co-cultured with induced Rhodococcus rhodochrous DAP 96253 and all strains tested exhibited cyanide metabolizing capabilities comparable to those of induced Rhodococcus. These same uninduced cultures, after proximity exposure to induced Rhodococcus, developed the ability to produce active antimicrobial agents which were inhibitory to growth of fungal spores.