**4. Conclusions and perspectives**

tant metabolic and physiological activities, for example, degradative potential of organochlor‐

The best adapted strain to the presence of PCP were by DL6A, DL5A, DL11A, and DL2B strains, which were capable to grow at concentrations above 10 mg L–1. The colony diameter of the strains DL6A and DL5A increased in the concentrations of 10, 20, and 30 mg L–1, but the sizes were inferiorincomparisonwithDL11AandDL2Bstrains inthe same concentrations (Figure6).

*Aspergillus versicolor* DL6A

*Aspergillus versicolor* DL5A

*Fusarium fujikuroi* DL11A

*Trichoderma harzianum* DL2B

Figure 6. Growth of marine-derived fungi (DL6A, DL5A, DL11A, DL2B) in 3% malt extract agar containing different concentrations of PCP after 21 d at 32° C. The plate numbers of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,

Earlier studies have shown that adaptation experiment with fungi in solid culture medium is a simple and important methodology to screen microorganisms for pesticide biodegradation [133]. After the adaptation experiments with the 15 isolated strains,

**Figure 6.** Growth of marine-derived fungi (DL6A, DL5A, DL11A, DL2B) in 3% malt extract agar containing different concentrations of PCP after 21 d at 32° C. The plate numbers of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively, correspond to 10, 25, 30,

respectively, correspond to 10, 25, 30, 40, and 50 mg L–1 of PCP.

40, and 50 mg L–1 of PCP.

ine pesticides.

212 Advances in Bioremediation of Wastewater and Polluted Soil

Fifteen marine-derived fungi associated with the ascidian *Didemnun ligulum* were isolated and identified by molecular techniques based on the genes rRNA ITS1 and ITS4. They were tested for toxicity resistance and biodegradation of PCP, and promising results were obtained. Experiments with these strains using culture medium containing 3% malt extract agar in the presence of PCP enabled the selection of a resistant strain (*Trichoderma harzianum* CBMAI 1677) capable of biodegrading this compound. This fungus grew well in high concentrations of PCP; therefore, showed resistance to its toxicity and potential for the biodegradation of this xenobiotic. This work showed the great potential of microorganisms from marine environment for biotransformation and biodegradation of anthropogenic compounds. The biomethylation and dechlorination of PCP gave the pesticide metabolites PCA and 2, 3, 4, 6-TeCA.
