Hydrolysis of Selected Organophosphorus Insecticides by Two Bacteria Isolated from Flooded Soil

Adhya, T. K.; Barik, S.; Sethunathan, N.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-2672.1981.tb00881.x

Cited by 52 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The prime factor affecting the degradation and persistance in agricultural soil of organophosphorus insecticides is the microbial activity (Adhya et al, 1981). The possibility that these insecticides may have a negative effect on soil microflora and their biological activities could be of considerable importance.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of the insecticides methylpyrimifos and chlorpyrifos on soil microflora in an agricultural loam

1992

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of the insecticides methylpyrimifos and chlorpyrifos on soil microflora in an agricultural loam

1992

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“…For example, Flavobacterium sp. and P. diminuta were isolated by diazinon and parathion enrichment but they can degrade a wide range of other organophosphorus compounds such coumaphos, methyl parathion, chlorpyrifos and nerve agents (Adhya et al , 1981; Singh et al , 1999).…”

Section: Microbial Degradation Of Organophosphorus Compoundsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbial degradation of organophosphorus compounds

Singh¹,

Walker²

2006

FEMS Microbiol Rev

966

524

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Synthetic organophosphorus compounds are used as pesticides, plasticizers, air fuel ingredients and chemical warfare agents. Organophosphorus compounds are the most widely used insecticides, accounting for an estimated 34% of world-wide insecticide sales. Contamination of soil from pesticides as a result of their bulk handling at the farmyard or following application in the field or accidental release may lead occasionally to contamination of surface and ground water. Several reports suggest that a wide range of water and terrestrial ecosystems may be contaminated with organophosphorus compounds. These compounds possess high mammalian toxicity and it is therefore essential to remove them from the environments. In addition, about 200,000 metric tons of nerve (chemical warfare) agents have to be destroyed world-wide under Chemical Weapons Convention (1993). Bioremediation can offer an efficient and cheap option for decontamination of polluted ecosystems and destruction of nerve agents. The first micro-organism that could degrade organophosphorus compounds was isolated in 1973 and identified as Flavobacterium sp. Since then several bacterial and a few fungal species have been isolated which can degrade a wide range of organophosphorus compounds in liquid cultures and soil systems. The biochemistry of organophosphorus compound degradation by most of the bacteria seems to be identical, in which a structurally similar enzyme called organophosphate hydrolase or phosphotriesterase catalyzes the first step of the degradation. organophosphate hydrolase encoding gene opd (organophosphate degrading) gene has been isolated from geographically different regions and taxonomically different species. This gene has been sequenced, cloned in different organisms, and altered for better activity and stability. Recently, genes with similar function but different sequences have also been isolated and characterized. Engineered microorganisms have been tested for their ability to degrade different organophosphorus pollutants, including nerve agents. In this article, we review and propose pathways for degradation of some organophosphorus compounds by microorganisms. Isolation, characterization, utilization and manipulation of the major detoxifying enzymes and the molecular basis of degradation are discussed. The major achievements and technological advancements towards bioremediation of organophosphorus compounds, limitations of available technologies and future challenge are also discussed.

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“…The few microorganisms capable of hydrolyzing organophosphorus insecticides can utilize one or more hydrolysis products as carbon or nutrient sources (15)(16)(17). Formation of 4-nitrophenol via hydrolysis of methyl parathion has been reported by several authors (1,4,16,17). NF100 was able to utilize 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol and 4-nitrophenol, which are hydrolysis products of fenitrothion and methyl parathion, respectively.…”

Section: Mhqmentioning

confidence: 99%

Involvement of Two Plasmids in Fenitrothion Degradation by Burkholderia sp. Strain NF100

Hayatsu

Hirano

Tokuda³

2000

Appl Environ Microbiol

116

119

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A bacterium capable of utilizing fenitrothion (O,O-dimethyl O-4-nitro-m-tolyl phosphorothioate) as a sole carbon source was isolated from fenitrothion-treated soil. This bacterium was characterized taxonomically as being a member of the genus Burkholderia and was designated strain NF100. NF100 first hydrolyzed an organophosphate bond of fenitrothion, forming 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol, which was further metabolized to methylhydroquinone. The ability to degrade fenitrothion was found to be encoded on two plasmids, pNF1 and pNF2.Organophosphorus insecticides such as fenitrothion (O,Odimethyl O-p-nitro-m-tolyl phosphorothioate) and parathion (O,O-diethyl O-p-nitrophenyl phosphorothioate) are used all over the world for controlling a wide range of insects. These insecticides are potent inhibitors of cholinesterase and can thus be hazardous as a result of runoff from areas of application. Microbial degradation is considered to be a major factor determining the fate of organophosphorus insecticides in the environment. Studies of microbial degradation are useful in the development of strategies for the detoxification of the insecticides by microorganisms (14). While there have been many reports of isolation and characterization of bacterial species cometabolically hydrolyzing organophosphorus insecticides (3), reports of bacterial species that utilize an insecticide as a sole source of carbon and energy for growth have been limited to date (15-17). On the other hand, it is well known that plasmids can endow bacterial species with the ability to degrade various man-made organic compounds (18). Catabolic plasmids have been thought to play an important role in the evolution of pesticide-degrading ability in microorganisms (3,18). A plasmid encoding the gene for hydrolysis of parathion to 4-nitrophenol has been found in Pseudomonas diminuta (19) and Flavobacterium sp. (13). However, there have been only a few studies of plasmid-associated organophosphorus insecticide degradation.In the present study, we isolated and characterized a Burkholderia sp. strain capable of utilizing fenitrothion as a sole source of carbon. In addition, we demonstrated that the degradative capability of the isolate is associated with the two plasmids harbored by this bacterium.Isolation and identification. A fenitrothion-degrading bacterium was isolated from soil that had been exposed to fenitrothion for at least 2 years. The fenitrothion-exposed soil was suspended in sterilized distilled water, and its diluted suspensions were sprayed on plates of MMFF agar, which is minimal medium (MM) (8) containing 0.8% fenitrothion emulsion (consisting of 50% fenitrothion) and 2% agar. After a few days of incubation at 30°C, microbial colonies became visible, and a clear halo appeared around a colony capable of degrading fenitrothion. We selected and purified a colony that was able to use fenitrothion as a sole source of carbon, and this was designated strain NF100. Strain NF100 was identified on the basis of morphological, physiological, and biochemical charac...

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Hydrolysis of Selected Organophosphorus Insecticides by Two Bacteria Isolated from Flooded Soil

Cited by 52 publications

References 10 publications

Effect of the insecticides methylpyrimifos and chlorpyrifos on soil microflora in an agricultural loam

Effect of the insecticides methylpyrimifos and chlorpyrifos on soil microflora in an agricultural loam

Microbial degradation of organophosphorus compounds

Involvement of Two Plasmids in Fenitrothion Degradation by Burkholderia sp. Strain NF100

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