Biodegradation of imazapyr in typical soils in Zhejiang Province,China

The degradation of imazapyr in non-sterile and sterile soils from four sampling sites in Zhejiang, China was studied. The results showed that the half-lives of imazapyr in non-sterile soils were in the range of 30 to 45 d, while 81 to 133 d in sterile(by autoclaving) soils. It means the rate constants of imazapyr under non-sterile conditions were 2 3—4 4 times faster than that under sterile(by autoclaving) conditions, evidently indicating that the indigenous microorganisms in soil play an important role in the degradation of imazapyr. The different sterilization methods could result in different degradation rates of imazapyr. The heat of sterilization of soil largely decreased the degradation. However, the sterile treatment of soil by sodium azide had a different effect from that by autoclaving. Further more, the mechanism was also discussed. Biodegradation in four non-sterile soils accounted for 62% to 78% of imazapyr degradation. In contrast, less than 39% of imazapyr degradation was associated with chemical mechanisms. Therefore, the degradation mechanism was predominantly involved in biology including organisms and microorganisms in soil. Two imazapyr-degrading bacterial strains were isolated in enrichment culture technique and they were identified as Pseudomonas fluorescenes biotypeⅡ(ZJX-5) and Bacillus cereus(ZJX-9), respectively. When added at a concentration of 50 μg/g in mineral salts medium(MSM), ZJX-5 and ZJX-9 could degrade 81% and 87% imazapyr after 48 h of incubation. For the treatment of incorporation of ZJX-5 or ZJX-9 into soil, the degradation rate enhanced 3—4 fold faster than that for control samples, which showed an important value in quick decontamination of imazapyr in soil.

Biodegradation of Pentachloronitrobenzene by Labrys portucalensis pcnb-21 Isolated from Polluted Soil

A bacterial strain, pcnb-21, capable of degrading pentaehloronitrobenzene （PCNB） under aerobic and anoxic conditions, was isolated from a long-term PCNB-polluted soil by an enrichment culture technique and identified as Labrys portucalensis based upon its morphological, physiological and biochemical properties, as well as 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Effects of different factors, such as temperature and pH, on PCNB biodegradation were studied. Strain pcnb-21 efficiently degraded PCNB at temperatures from 20 to 30 ℃ and initial pH values from 4 to 7, which might be the first time that a Labrys strain was found capable of eflClciently degrading PC1NB. The degradation of PCNB was affected by oxygen, and the degradation decreased with increasing aeration. Exogenous electron donors such as glucose, lactic acid and succinic acid promoted the biodegradation of PCNB, while electron acceptors such as sodium nitrite, sodium sulfate, sodium nitrate and sodium sulfate inhibited PCNB biodegradation. The degradation of PCNB in sterile and non-sterile soils by a green fluorescent protein （GFP）-labeled strain, pcnb-21-gfp, was also studied. Cells of pcnb-21-gfp efficiently degraded 100 mg kg-1 PCNB in sterile and non-sterile soils and could not be detected after 42 days. Strain pcnb-21 might be useful in bioremediating PCNB-polluted soils and environment.

Adsorption and Desorption of Cry1Ab Proteins on Differently Textured Paddy Soils

In recent years, selected cry genes from Bacillus thuringiensis（Bt） encoding the production of Cry proteins（Bt toxins） have been engineered into crop plants（Bt-crops）. Through the cultivation of Bt crops and the application of Bt pesticides, Cry proteins could be introduced into arable soils. The interaction between the proteins and soils was analyzed in this study to investigate the affinity of Cry proteins in paddy soil ecosystems. Four Paddy soils were selected to represent different soil textures. Cry proteins were spiked in soils, and the amount of protein adsorbed was measured over 24 h. Desorption of Cry1Ab proteins from paddy soils was performed by washing with sterile Milli-Q water（H_2O_（MQ））, and subsequently extracted with an extraction buffer. The paddy soils had a strong affinity for Cry1Ab proteins. Most of the Cry1Ab proteins added（＆gt; 98%） were rapidly adsorbed on the paddy soils tested. More Cry1Ab proteins were adsorbed on non-sterile soils than on sterile soils. Less than 2% of the adsorbed Cry1Ab proteins were desorbed using H2 OMQ, while a considerable proportion of the adsorbed proteins could be desorbed with the buffer, ranging from 20% to 40%.The amount of proteins desorbed increased with the increases in the initial amount of Cry1Ab proteins added to the paddy soils. The concentration of Cry1Ab proteins desorbed from the paddy soils was higher for sterile soils than non-sterile ones. Our results indicate that Bt toxins released via the cultivation of Bt crops, the application of Bt pesticides can be adsorbed on paddy soils, and soil texture could impose an impact on the adsorption capability.