Klebsiella pneumoniae KE-1 degrades endosulfan without formation of the toxic metabolite, endosulfan sulfate

• Published in: FEMS microbiology letters Vol. 215; no. 2; pp. 255 - 259
• Main Authors: Kwon, Gi-Seok, Kim, Jang-Eok, Kim, Taek-Kyum, Sohn, Ho-Yong, Koh, Sung-Cheol, Shin, Kee-Sun, Kim, Dong-Geol
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 08.10.2002
• Subjects: 16S rDNA sequencing; Bioremediation of endosulfan; Klebsiella pneumoniae KE-1; Non-oxidative pathway; 16S rDNA sequencing; Non-oxidative pathway; Bioremediation of endosulfan; Klebsiella pneumoniae KE-1
• ISSN: 0378-1097; 1574-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/S0378-1097(02)00954-0

For bioremediation of toxic endosulfan, endosulfan degradation bacteria, which do not form toxic endosulfan sulfate, were isolated from various soil samples using endosulfan as sole carbon and energy source. Among the 40 isolated bacteria, strain KE-1, which was identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae by physiological and 16S rDNA sequence analysis, showed superior endosulfan degradation activity. Analysis of culture pH, growth, free sulfate and endosulfan and its metabolites demonstrated that KE-1 biologically degrades 8.72 μg endosulfan ml −1 day −1 when incubated with 93.9 μg ml −1 endosulfan for 10 days without formation of toxic endosulfan sulfate. Our results suggest that K. pneumoniae KE-1 degraded endosulfan by a non-oxidative pathway and that strain KE-1 has potential as a biocatalyst for endosulfan bioremediation.