Pesticide degradation capacity of a novel strain belonging to Serratia sarumanii with its genomic profile

Abstract

The extensive use of pesticides in agricultural practices, coupled with the potential for microbial biodegradation of these chemicals, plays a critical role in environmental sustainability. This study aimed to identify microorganisms capable of degrading the most commonly used pesticides in agricultural fields within our region. In vitro screening revealed a microorganism with a broad pesticide degradation spectrum, and whole-genome sequencing further indicated the presence of genomic regions associated with pesticide degradation, a finding that was validated by LC–MS/MS analysis. Detailed genomic analysis, including ribosomal multi-locus sequence typing (rMLST), identified the microorganism as Serratia sarumanii. Our results also demonstrated that the introduction of this strain into the environment not only promoted the degradation of specific pesticides but also enhanced the efficacy of certain other pesticides at low concentrations through a synergistic interaction. To further substantiate the biodegradation capabilities of the strain, LC–MS/MS chromatographic analysis of 25 pesticide-active chemicals confirmed that Serratia sarumanii effectively biodegrades several pesticide active ingredients, including fludioxonil, fenhexamid, pyrimethanil, and spirodiclofen. These findings underscore the biodegradative potential of Serratia sarumanii and its promising application in the bioremediation of pesticide-contaminated soils.