Isolation and characterization of 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol-degrading Ralstonia sp. strain T6

A 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol (TCP)-degrading strain, T6, was isolated by continuous enrichment culture and identified as Ralstonia sp. based on morphological, physiological and biochemical tests as well as 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The bacterium metabolized 100 mg/L TCP within 12 h and 700 mg/L TCP in 80 h. A green metabolite, putatively identified as 3,6-dihydroxypyridine-2,5-dione, was detected. This is the first report of TCP-degrading isolate from the genus of Ralstonia. Strain T6 could potentially be employed in bioremediation of TCP.