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Isolation and characterization of soil bacteria able to rapidly degrade the organophosphorus nematicide fosthiazate
Author(s) -
Lagos S.,
Perruchon C.,
Katsoula A.,
Karpouzas D.G.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
letters in applied microbiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.698
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1472-765X
pISSN - 0266-8254
DOI - 10.1111/lam.13098
Subject(s) - bioremediation , biodegradation , bacteria , isolation (microbiology) , phylotype , microorganism , biology , contamination , chemistry , 16s ribosomal rna , environmental chemistry , food science , microbiology and biotechnology , ecology , genetics
Foshtiazate is an organophosphorus nematicide commonly used in protected crops and potato plantations. It is toxic to mammals, birds and honeybees, it is persistent in certain soils and can be transported to water resources. Recent studies by our group demonstrated, for the first time, the development of enhanced biodegradation of fosthiazate in agricultural soils. However, the micro‐organisms driving this process are still unknown. We aimed to isolate soil bacteria responsible for the enhanced biodegradation of fosthiazate and assess their degradation potential against high concentrations of the nematicide. Enrichment cultures led to the isolation of two bacterial cultures actively degrading fosthiazate. Denaturating Gradient Gel Electrophoresis analysis revealed that they were composed of a single phylotype, identified via 16S rRNA cloning and phylogenetic analysis as Variovorax boronicumulans . This strain showed high degradation potential against fosthiazate. It degraded up to 100 mg l −1 in liquid cultures ( DT 50 = 11·2 days), whereas its degrading capacity was reduced at higher concentration levels (500 mg l −1 , DT 50 = 20 days). This is the first report for the isolation of a fosthiazate‐degrading bacterium, which showed high potential for use in future biodepuration and bioremediation applications. Significance and Impact of the Study This study reported for the first time the isolation and molecular identification of bacteria able to rapidly degrade the organophosphorus nematicide fosthiazate; one of the few synthetic nematicides still available on the global market. Further tests demonstrated the high capacity of the isolated strain to degrade high concentrations of fosthiazate suggesting its high potential for future bioremediation applications in contaminated environmental sites, considering high acute toxicity and high persistence and mobility of fosthiazate in acidic and low in organic matter content soils.