Degradation Of Microcystin-RR by Sphingomonas sp. Isolated From San Roque Reservoir Córdoba - Argentina).

AMÉ, M.V.; ECHENIQUE, J.R.; PFLUGMACHER, S.; WUNDERLIN, D. A.

Biodegradation

SPRINGER

Lugar: Holanda; Año: 2006 vol. 17 p. 447 - 455

0923-9820

We report the aerobic biodegradation of Microcystin-RR (MC-RR) by a bacterial strain isolated from San Roque reservoir (Co´ rdoba – Argentina). This bacterium was identi.ed as Sphingomonas sp. (CBA4) on the basis of 16S rDNA sequencing. The isolated strain was capable of degrading completely MC-RR (200 lg l)1) within 36 h. We have found evidence that MC-RR biodegradation pathway by this Sphingomonas sp. strain would start by demethylatingMC-RR, a.ording an intermediate product, which is biodegraded by this strain within 72 h. Our results confirm that certain environmental bacterial, living in the same habitat that toxic cyanobacteria, have the capability to perform complete biodegradation of MC, leading to natural bioremediation of waterbodies. The bacterium reported here presents genetic homologies with other strains that degrade MC-LR. However, initial demethylation of MC-RR has been not described previously, raising questions on the probable presence of different biodegradation pathways for different MC variant.