Biodegradation of acetaminophen: Microcosm centric genomic-proteomic-metabolomics evidences

• Published in: Bioresource technology 2024-06, Vol.401, p.130732-130732, Article 130732
• Main Authors: Pandey, Bhavana, Pandey, Anand Kumar, Tripathi, Kritika, Dubey, Suresh Kumar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acetaminophen; Bacterial degradation; Degradation kinetics; Microcosms; Multi-omics approaches
• ISSN: 0960-8524; 1873-2976
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130732

[Display omitted] •Paracoccus sp. APAP_BH8 degraded ∼86 % of acetaminophen in microcosm studies.•Biodegradation follows a pseudo-first-order kinetics.•4-aminophenol, hydroquinone, 3-hydroxy-cis,cis-muconate were identified metabolites.•Proposed degradation pathway based on multi-omics analysis. Acetaminophen (APAP) is a frequently used, over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic medication. Considering increase in global consumption, its ubiquity in environment with potential toxic impacts has become a cause of great concern. Hence, bioremediation of this emerging contaminant is of paramount significance. The present study incorporates a microcosm centric omics approach to gain in-depth insights into APAP degradation by Paracoccus sp. APAP_BH8. It can metabolize APAP (300 mg kg−1) within 16 days in soil microcosms. Genome analysis revealed potential genes capable of mediating degradation includes M20 aminoacylase family protein, guanidine deaminase, 4-hydroxybenzoate 3-monooxygenase, and 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase. Whole proteome analysis showed differential expression of enzymes and bioinformatics provided evidence for stable binding of intermediates at the active site of considered enzymes. Metabolites identified were 4-aminophenol, hydroquinone, and 3-hydroxy-cis, cis-muconate. Therefore, Paracoccus sp. APAP_BH8 with versatile enzymatic and genetic attributes can be a promising candidate for formulating improved in situ APAP bioremediation strategies.