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Anaerobic Degradation of Lindane and Other HCH Isomers

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Management of Microbial Resources in the Environment

Abstract

Lindane (γ-HCH) is a pesticide that has mainly been used in agriculture. Lindane and the other HCH isomers are highly chlorinated hydrocarbons. The presence of a large number of electron withdrawing chlorine groups makes some of the HCH isomers rather recalcitrant in oxic environments. Especially β-HCH is poorly degraded by aerobic bacteria. The chlorine groups make HCH isomers more accessible for an initial reductive attack, a common mechanism in anoxic environments. Among the HCH isomers, γ-HCH is degraded most easily while β-HCH is most persistent. Little is known about the diversity of the microorganisms involved in anaerobic HCH degradation. Thus far, species within the genera Clostridium and Bacillus, two Desulfovibrio species, and one species each of Desulfococcus, Desulfobacter, Citrobacter and Dehalobacter have been found to metabolize lindane and other HCH isomers. Benzene and monochlorobenzene are the end products of anaerobic degradation, while in some studies pentachlorocyclohexane, tetrachlorocyclohexene, chlorobenzenes and chlorophenols have been detected as intermediates. Enzymes and coding genes involved in the reductive dechlorination of HCH isomers are largely unknown. Recently, a metagenomic analysis has indicated the presence of numerous putative reductive dehalogenase genes in the genome of β-HCH degrading Dehalobacter sp. High-throughput omics techniques can help to explore the key players and enzymes involved in the reductive dehalogenation of lindane and other HCH isomers.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Wim van Doesburg (WUR) and Dr. Sher (AIOU) for help in making figures. We also thank the Dutch Center for Soil Quality Management and Knowledge Transfer, (SKB; www.skbodem.nl) The Netherlands, and the Wageningen Institute for Environment and Climate Research (WIMEK), The Netherlands for providing funds for the present study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 10, 6703 HB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Farrakh Mehboob, Gosse Schraa & Alfons J. M. Stams

  2. Ecotoxicology Research Programme, National Institute of Bio-remediation, National Agriculture Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan

    Farrakh Mehboob

  3. Sub-department of Environmental Technology, Wageningen University, Bornse Weilanden 9, 6708 WG, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Alette A. M. Langenhoff

  4. Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057, Braga, Portugal

    Alfons J. M. Stams

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Correspondence to Farrakh Mehboob .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agricultural Microbiology Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India

    Abdul Malik (Visiting Professor/Scientist) (Visiting Professor/Scientist)

  2. Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    Abdul Malik (Visiting Professor/Scientist) & Elisabeth Grohmann (Visiting Professor/Scientist) & 

  3. Center of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal

    Madalena Alves

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Mehboob, F., Langenhoff, A.A.M., Schraa, G., Stams, A.J.M. (2013). Anaerobic Degradation of Lindane and Other HCH Isomers. In: Malik, A., Grohmann, E., Alves, M. (eds) Management of Microbial Resources in the Environment. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5931-2_20

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