Biodegradation of indole by a newly isolated Cupriavidus sp. SHE

Indole, a typical nitrogen heterocyclic aromatic pollutant, is extensively spread in industrial wastewater. Microbial degradation has been proven to be a feasible approach to remove indole, whereas the microbial resources are fairly limited. A bacterial strain designated as SHE was isolated and found to be an efficient indole degrader. It was identified as Cupriavidus sp. according to 16S rRNA gene analysis. Strain SHE could utilize indole as the sole carbon source and almost completely degrade 100 mg/L of indole within 24 hr. It still harbored relatively high indole degradation capacity within pH 4–9 and temperature 25°C–35°C. Experiments also showed that some heavy metals such as Mn2 +, Pb2 + and Co2 + did not pose severe inhibition on indole degradation. Based on high performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrum analysis, isatin was identified as a minor intermediate during the process of indole biodegradation. A major yellow product with m/z 265.0605 (C15H8N2O3) was generated and accumulated, suggesting a novel indole conversion pathway existed. Genome analysis of strain SHE indicated that there existed a rich set of oxidoreductases, which might be the key reason for the efficient degradation of indole. The robust degradation ability of strain SHE makes it a promising candidate for the treatment of indole containing wastewater.

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