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Degradation of Microcystin-RR by Sphingomonas sp. CBA4 isolated from San Roque reservoir (Córdoba – Argentina)

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Abstract

We report the aerobic biodegradation of Microcystin-RR (MC-RR) by a bacterial strain isolated from San Roque reservoir (Córdoba – Argentina). This bacterium was identified as Sphingomonas sp. (CBA4) on the basis of 16S rDNA sequencing. The isolated strain was capable of degrading completely MC-RR (200 μg l−1) within 36 h. We have found evidence that MC-RR biodegradation pathway by this Sphingomonas sp. strain would start by demethylating MC-RR, affording an intermediate product, which is finally biodegraded by this strain within 72 h. Our results confirm that certain environmental bacteria, living in the same habitat as toxic cyanobacteria, have the capability to perform complete biodegradation of MC, leading to natural bioremediation of waterbodies. The bacterium reported here presents genetic homologies with other strains that degrade MC-LR. However, initial demethylation of MC-RR has been not described previously, raising questions on the probable presence of different biodegradation pathways for different MC variants.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from FONCyT, Agencia Córdoba Ciencia. (Argentina),␣and␣Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany). M.V. Amé has a fellowship from CONICET (National Research Council). J. Echenique and D. Wunderlin are members or the research career of CONICET.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba – CONICET, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Dto. Bioquímica Clínica – CIBICI. Cdad. Universitaria, 5000, Córdoba, Argentina

    Amé María Valeria, Echenique José Ricardo &  Wunderlin Daniel Alberto

  2. Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Müggelseedamm 301, D 12587, Berlin, Germany

    Pflugmacher Stephan

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  1. Amé María Valeria
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  2. Echenique José Ricardo
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  3. Pflugmacher Stephan
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  4. Wunderlin Daniel Alberto
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Correspondence to Wunderlin Daniel Alberto.

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Valeria, A.M., Ricardo, E.J., Stephan, P. et al. Degradation of Microcystin-RR by Sphingomonas sp. CBA4 isolated from San Roque reservoir (Córdoba – Argentina). Biodegradation 17, 447–455 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-005-9015-9

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