Bacterial catabolism of s-triazine herbicides: biochemistry, evolution and application.

The synthetic s-triazines are abundant, nitrogen-rich, heteroaromatic compounds used in a multitude of applications including, herbicides, plastics and polymers, and explosives. Their presence in the environment has led to the evolution of bacterial catabolic pathways in bacteria that allow use of these anthropogenic chemicals as a nitrogen source that supports growth. Herbicidal s-triazines have been used since the mid-twentieth century and are among the most heavily used herbicides in the world, despite being withdrawn from use in some areas due to concern about their safety and environmental impact.

Oxidative Catabolism of (+)-Pinoresinol Is Initiated by an Unusual Flavocytochrome Encoded by Translationally Coupled Genes within a Cluster of (+)-Pinoresinol-Coinduced Genes in sp. Strain SG-MS2.

sp. strain SG-MS1 and sp. strain SG-MS2 have previously been found to mineralize (+)-pinoresinol through a common catabolic pathway.

Isolation of the (+)-Pinoresinol-Mineralizing Pseudomonas sp. Strain SG-MS2 and Elucidation of Its Catabolic Pathway.

Pinoresinol is a dimer of two β-β'-linked coniferyl alcohol molecules. It is both a plant defense molecule synthesized through the shikimic acid pathway and a representative of several β-β-linked dimers produced during the microbial degradation of lignin in dead plant material. Until now, little has been known about the bacterial catabolism of such dimers.

High-Resolution X-Ray Structures of Two Functionally Distinct Members of the Cyclic Amide Hydrolase Family of Toblerone Fold Enzymes.

The Toblerone fold was discovered recently when the first structure of the cyclic amide hydrolase, AtzD (a cyanuric acid hydrolase), was elucidated. We surveyed the cyclic amide hydrolase family, finding a strong correlation between phylogenetic distribution and specificity for either cyanuric acid or barbituric acid. One of six classes (IV) could not be tested due to a lack of expression of the proteins from it, and another class (V) had neither cyanuric acid nor barbituric acid hydrolase activity.

Binary combinations of organophosphorus and synthetic pyrethroids are more potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitors than organophosphorus and carbamate mixtures: An in vitro assessment.

Anticholinesterase insecticides such as organophosphorous (OP) and carbamates pesticides (CB); and synthetic pyrethroids (SP) pesticides commonly co-occur in the environment. This raises the possibility of antagonistic, additive, or synergistic neurotoxicity in exposed organisms. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition has been demonstrated to be useful as a biomarker for exposure to OP and CBs in many environments.

X-Ray Structure and Mutagenesis Studies of the N-Isopropylammelide Isopropylaminohydrolase, AtzC.

The N-isopropylammelide isopropylaminohydrolase from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP, AtzC, provides the third hydrolytic step in the mineralization of s-triazine herbicides, such as atrazine. We obtained the X-ray crystal structure of AtzC at 1.

X-ray structure of the amidase domain of AtzF, the allophanate hydrolase from the cyanuric acid-mineralizing multienzyme complex.

The activity of the allophanate hydrolase from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP, AtzF, provides the final hydrolytic step for the mineralization of s-triazines, such as atrazine and cyanuric acid. Indeed, the action of AtzF provides metabolic access to two of the three nitrogens in each triazine ring.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of the amidase domain of allophanate hydrolase from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP.

The allophanate hydrolase from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP was expressed and purified, and a tryptic digest fragment was subsequently identified, expressed and purified. This 50 kDa construct retained amidase activity and was crystallized.

Cyanuric acid hydrolase: evolutionary innovation by structural concatenation.

The cyanuric acid hydrolase, AtzD, is the founding member of a newly identified family of ring-opening amidases. We report the first X-ray structure for this family, which is a novel fold (termed the 'Toblerone' fold) that likely evolved via the concatenation of monomers of the trimeric YjgF superfamily and the acquisition of a metal binding site. Structures of AtzD with bound substrate (cyanuric acid) and inhibitors (phosphate, barbituric acid and melamine), along with mutagenesis studies, allowed the identification of the active site.

Cloning of a novel 6-chloronicotinic acid chlorohydrolase from the newly isolated 6-chloronicotinic acid mineralizing Bradyrhizobiaceae strain SG-6C.

A 6-chloronicotinic acid mineralizing bacterium was isolated from enrichment cultures originating from imidacloprid-contaminated soil samples. This Bradyrhizobiaceae, designated strain SG-6C, hydrolytically dechlorinated 6-chloronicotinic acid to 6-hydroxynicotinic acid, which was then further metabolised via the nicotinic acid pathway. This metabolic pathway was confirmed by growth and resting cell assays using HPLC and LC-MS studies.