Unleashing potential of Pseudomonas aeruginosa RNC3 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia RNC7 for chlorpyrifos biodegradation by genome analysis and kinetic studies.

Chlorpyrifos (CP) is an extensively used organophosphate (OP) pesticide that inhibits the biogeochemical cycle with subsequent loss of soil fertility. In this view, indigenous soil bacteria with significant CP degradation capacity were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa RNC3 and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia RNC7 through 16 S rRNA. The optimum values of independent variables for CP degradation were found to be 30 ℃, pH 7, 100 mgL of CP, and 1 OD cell culture RNC3 and RNC7 showed 82.5 mgL and 77.1 mgL CP degradation within 5 days. A Michaelis-Menten kinetic model estimated the degradation rate (V) and substrate binding affinity (K) for RNC3 were 1.23 mgLh and 123 mgL whereas for RNC7 as 1.19 mgLh and 124.3 mgL, respectively. The major metabolites 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP) and 2-hydroxy pyridine were identified during CP degradation by RNC3 whereas, only TCP by RNC7 using GC-MS. Key enzymes encoded by opd and opch2 genes were annotated in the genomes of RNC3 and RNC7 along with the set of putative degradation genes (tcp, yieH, pho, prp). Protein-ligand docking between OPCH2 and CP found - 7.9 kcal mol as a high binding affinity with the conserved catalytic triad (Ser-Asp-His) in the active site. The study suggests that RNC3 can completely mineralize CP, whereas both strains have shown robust degradation ability of OP group of pesticides. The potential of rapid acclimatization to natural soil environment and non-virulent nature of the selected strains are beneficial for in situ application. Thus, selected indigenous strains can be applied for the bioremediation of OP-contaminated soil.