Zygomycete Gongronella sp. CCMI 1101 (MUM 10.263) was isolated from an Alentejo vineyard soil submitted to repeated treatments with the fungicide metalaxyl. This fungicide is widely used against Oomycetes species that causing downy mildew.
After selective enrichment, adapted Gongronella sp. CCMI 1100 (MUM 10.262) showed high tolerance to metalaxyl with EC50 of 36.1 mg L-1. Additionally, this adapted fungus was able to use metalaxyl as main carbon and energy source. Afterwards, both Gongronella strains (non-adapted and metalaxyl adapted strains) were submitted to a polyphasic approach identification and characterisation. In contrast, proteomic analysis showed spectra with substantial quantitatively phenotypic differences between both strains that could be a consequence of a strain adaptation to metalaxyl. In conclusion, Gongronella sp. CCMI 1101 is now under further taxonomic studies and the current results suggest that the adapted strain CCMI 1100 can be explored in soil bioremediation for metalaxyl-degradation
