Biodegradation of cypermethrin by Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1.

Preeti N Tallur, Veena B Megadi, Harichandra Z Ninnekar

Department of Biochemistry, Karnataka University, Dharwad 580003, India.

Biodegradation 2008 Feb

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A bacterium capable of utilizing pyrethroid pesticide cypermethrin as sole source of carbon was isolated from soil and identified as a Micrococcus sp. The organism also utilized fenvalerate, deltamethrin, perimethrin, 3-phenoxybenzoate, phenol, protocatechuate and catechol as growth substrates. The organism degraded cypermethrin by hydrolysis of ester linkage to yield 3-phenoxybenzoate, leading to loss of its insecticidal activity. 3-Phenoxybenzoate was further metabolized by diphenyl ether cleavage to yield protocatechuate and phenol as evidenced by isolation and identification of metabolites and enzyme activities in the cell-free extracts. Protocatechuate and phenol were oxidized by ortho-cleavage pathway. Thus, the organism was versatile in detoxification and complete mineralization of pyrethroid cypermethrin.

Citation

Preeti N Tallur, Veena B Megadi, Harichandra Z Ninnekar. Biodegradation of cypermethrin by Micrococcus sp. strain CPN 1. Biodegradation. 2008 Feb;19(1):77-82