Abstract
Chlorobenzene (CB), extensively used in industrial processes, has emerged as a significant contaminant in soil and groundwater. The eco-friendly and cost-effective microbial remediation has been increasingly favored to address this environmental challenge. In this study, a degrading bacterium was isolated from CB-contaminated soil at a pesticide plant, identified as Pandoraea sp. XJJ-1 (CCTCC M 2021057). This strain completely degraded 100 mg·L−1 CB and showed extensive degradability across a range of pH (5.0–9.0), temperature (10–37 °C), and CB concentrations (100–600 mg·L−1). Notably, the degradation efficiency was 85.2% at 15 °C, and the strain could also degrade six other aromatic hydrocarbons, including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (o-, m-, p-). The metabolic pathway of CB was inferred using ultraperformance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and genomic analysis. In strain XJJ-1, CB was metabolized to o-chlorophenol and 3-chloroxychol by CB monooxygenase, followed by ortho-cleavage by the action of 3-chlorocatechol 1,2-dioxygenase. Moreover, the presence of the chlorobenzene monooxygenation pathway metabolism in strain XJJ-1 is reported for the first time in Pandoraea. As a bacterium with low-temperature resistance and composite pollutant degradation capacity, strain XJJ-1 has the potential application prospects in the in-situ bioremediation of CB-contaminated sites.
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This work was supported by the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (No.23HC1400300) and CNPC Innovation Found (No.2022DQ02-0504).
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Changzheng Cui and Jie Yang conceived the idea and designed the experiments. Lixu Pan and Bo Yuan conducted the experiments, analyzed the data, and prepared the first draft of the manuscript. Qingqing Li, Ji Ouyang, Yan Zhou, and Changzheng Cui reviewed and revised the manuscript. All authors have reviewed and approved the final manuscript.
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Pan, L., Yuan, B., Li, Q. et al. Efficient biodegradation of chlorobenzene via monooxygenation pathways by Pandoraea sp. XJJ-1 with high potential for groundwater bioremediation. Int Microbiol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-024-00544-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10123-024-00544-4