Abstract
Chlorpyrifos was one of the most widely used organophosphorus insecticides and the neurotoxicity and genotoxicity of chlorpyrifos to mammals, aquatic organisms and other non-target organisms have caused much public concern. Cupriavidus nantongensis X1(T), a type of strain of the genus Cupriavidus, is capable of efficiently degrading 200 mg/L of chlorpyrifos within 48 h. This is ~100 fold faster than Enterobacter B-14, a well-studied chlorpyrifos-degrading bacterial strain. Strain X1(T) can tolerate high concentrations (500 mg/L) of chlorpyrifos over a wide range of temperatures (30-42 °C) and pH values (5-9). RT-qPCR analysis showed that the organophosphorus hydrolase (OpdB) in strain X1(T) was an inducible enzyme, and the crude enzyme isolated in vitro could still maintain 75% degradation activity. Strain X1(T) can simultaneously degrade chlorpyrifos and its main hydrolysate 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol. TCP could be further metabolized through stepwise oxidative dechlorination and further opening of the benzene ring to be completely degraded by the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The results provide a potential means for the remediation of chlorpyrifos- contaminated soil and water.