Bacterial degradation of some organophosphate compounds

Abstract

Organophosphorus compounds cause high mammalian toxicity and therefore their detoxification from the environment is essential. Bioremediation can be an efficient and cheap option for decontamination of polluted ecosystems. Several bacterial species can degrade a wide range of organophosphorus compounds in liquid cultures and soil systems. Organophosphate hydrolase encoding opd gene has been isolated, sequenced, cloned in different organisms and altered for better activity and stability. Bacteria capable of complete mineralization have been constructed by transferring the complete degradation pathway for specific compounds in one bacterium.