Microorganisms and cyanide.

INTRODUCTION............................................................. 652 PLANTCYANOGENESIS,. ...................... ............................... 652 CYANIDE PRODUCTION BY FUNGI .......... ............................... 653 Cyanide-Linked Diseases .................... ................................ 653 Snow mold disease ........................................................ 653 Fairy ring disease ......................................................... 655 Copperspot disease ........................................................ 655 Cyanide Production in Culture ................ ............................... 656 Formation of Cyanogens . .................................................... 656 CYANIDE PRODUCTION BY BACTERIA .......... ........................... 657 Species Producing Cyanide .................... .............................. 657 Conditions of Cyanide Production ............. ............................... 657 Metabolic Precursors of Cyanide .............. ............................... 658 SPECULATIONS ON THE METABOLIC PATHWAY OF CYANIDE PRODUCTION BY MICROORGANISMS ................. ............................... 658 CYANIDE ASSIMILATION BY CYANOGENIC MICROORGANISMS ..... ...... 660 Alanine Formation .......................................................... 660 Glutamic Acid Formation ................................................... 661 a-Aminobutyric Acid Formation .............. ............................... 661 j3-Cyanoalanine Formation ................... ............................... 661 'y-Cyano-a-aminobutyric Acid Formation 665 GROWTH OF MICROORGANISMS ONCYANIDE. 665 UTILIZATION OF CYANIDE BY MICROBIAL ECOSYSTEMS ..... ........... 666 Soil Ecosystems.............................................................. 666 Disposal of Cyanide Wastes by Sewage Systems ............................... 667 MECHANISMS OF CYANIDE RESISTANCE AND DETOXICATION ..... ...... 669 Cyanide-Resistant Respiration .............. ................................. 669 Achromobacter ............................................................ 669 Bacilus cereus ........................................................... 670 Chromobacterium violaceum ................. .............................. 670 Ewcherichia colU .......................................................... 671 Tetrahymenapyriformni.n .................. ................................ 671 Cyanide Detoxication ....................................................... 672 CONCLUDING REMARKS..................................................... 673 LITERATURECITED. ............... 674