Effect of environmental factors on degradation of the CP bond of methylphosphonate by Escherichia coli cells

Carbon-Phosphorus Lyase-the State of the Art

Organophosphonates are molecules that contain a very chemically stable carbon-phosphorus (C-P) bond. Microorganisms can utilize phosphonates as potential source of crucial elements for their growth, as developed several pathways to metabolize these compounds. One among these pathways is catalyzed by C-P lyase complex, which has a broad substrate specifity; therefore, it has a wide application in degradation of herbicides deposited in the environment, such as glyphosate. This multi-enzyme system accurately recognized in Escherichia coli and genetic studies have demonstrated that it is encoded by phn operon containing 14 genes (phnC-phnP). The phn operon is a member of the Pho regulon induced by phosphate starvation. Ability to degradation of phosphonates is also found in other microorganisms, especially soil and marine bacteria, that have homologous genes to those in E. coli. Despite the existence of differences in structure and composition of phn gene cluster, each of these strains contains phnGHIJKLM genes necessary in the C-P bond cleavage mechanism. The review provides a detailed description and summary of achievements on the C-P lyase enzymatic pathway over the last 50 years.

Mechanism of methylphosphonic acid photo-degradation based on phosphate oxygen isotopes and density functional theory

Methylphosphonic acid (MPn) is an intermediate in the synthesis of the phosphorus-containing nerve agents, such as sarin and VX, and a biosynthesis product of marine microbes with ramifications to global climate change and eutrophication. Here, we applied the multi-labeled water isotope probing (MLWIP) approach to investigate the C-P bond cleavage mechanism of MPn under UV irradiation and density functional theory (DFT) to simulate the photo-oxidation reaction process involving reactive oxygen species (ROS). The results contrasted with those of the addition of the ROS-quenching compounds, 2-propanol and NaN3. The degradation kinetics results indicated that the extent of MPn degradation was more under alkaline conditions and that the degradation process was more rapid at the initial stage of the reaction. The phosphate oxygen isotope data confirmed that one exogenous oxygen atom was incorporated into the product orthophosphate (PO4) following the C-P bond cleavage, and the oxygen isotopic composition of this free PO4 was found to vary with pH. The combined results of the ROS-quenching experiments and DFT indicate that the C-P bond was cleaved by OH-/˙OH and not by other reactive oxygen species. Based on these results, we have established a mechanistic model for the photolysis of MPn, which provides new insights into the fate of MPn and other phosphonate/organophosphate compounds in the environment.

AminoMethylPhosphonic acid (AMPA) in natural waters: Its sources, behavior and environmental fate

The widely occurring degradation product aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) is a result of glyphosate and amino-polyphosphonate degradation. Massive use of the parent compounds leads to the ubiquity of AMPA in the environment, and particularly in water. The purpose of this review is to summarize and discuss current insights into AMPA formation, transport, persistence and toxicity. In agricultural soils, AMPA is concentrated in the topsoil, and degrades slowly in most soils. It can reach shallow groundwater, but rarely managed to enter deep groundwater. AMPA is strongly adsorbed to soil particles and moves with the particles towards the stream in rainfall runoff. In urban areas, AMPA comes from phosphonates and glyphosate in wastewater. It is commonly found at the outlets of Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTP). Sediments tend to accumulate AMPA, where it may be biodegraded. Airborne AMPA is not negligible, but does wash-out with heavy rainfall. AMPA is reported to be persistent and can be biologically degraded in soils and sediments. Limited photodegradation in waters exists. AMPA mainly has its sources in agricultural leachates, and urban wastewater effluents. The domestic contribution to urban loads is negligible. There is a critical lack of epidemiological data - especially on water exposure - to understand the toxicological effects, if any, of AMPA on humans. Fortunately, well operated water treatment plants remove a significant proportion of the AMPA from water, even though there are not sufficient regulatory limits for metabolites.