Lindane Biodegradation by Defined Consortia of Indigenous Streptomyces Strains

The current study aimed to compare lindane degradation by pure and mixed cultures of Streptomyces sp. Cell-free extracts were assayed for potentiating dechlorinase activity and, based on these results, consortia of two to six microorganisms were assayed for their growth on and degradation of lindane. Furthermore, the role of bacterial consortia of lindane-degrading strains was examined in lindane decontamination soil assays. Four actinobacteria, previously isolated from a pesticide-contaminated area, were selected because of their tolerance to lindane and their ability to use the pesticide as sole carbon source. These strains as well as Streptomyces sp. M7 and Streptomyces coelicolor A3 were used to study specific dechlorinase activity (SDA) and lindane removal in mixed cultures. Pure cultures presented SDA in the presence of 1.66 mg L^-1 lindane as carbon source. SDA was improved by certain mixed cultures until 12 times compared with pure cultures. Mixed cultures with two, three, and four strains showed maximum lindane removal of 46% to 68%, whereas combinations of five and six strains did not efficiently remove the pesticide from the culture medium. The Streptomyces sp. A2, A5, M7, and A11 consortium presented the lowest ratio between residual lindane concentration and SDA and could be a promising tool for lindane biodegradation.