Degradation of Chlorpyrifos by an alkaline phosphatase from the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis

• Published in: Biodegradation (Dordrecht) 2010-07, Vol.21 (4), p.637-644
• Main Authors: Thengodkar, Rutwik Ravindra Mandakini, Sivakami, S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: alkaline phosphatase; Alkaline Phosphatase - chemistry; Alkaline Phosphatase - isolation & purification; Alkaline Phosphatase - metabolism; Ammonium; Aprotinin; Aquatic Pollution; Bacteria; Bacterial Proteins - chemistry; Bacterial Proteins - isolation & purification; Bacterial Proteins - metabolism; Biochemistry; Biodegradation; Biodegradation of pollutants; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Bioremediation; Biotechnology; Chlorpyrifos; Chlorpyrifos - metabolism; Cyanobacteria; Environment and pollution; Enzyme inhibitors; Enzymes; Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geochemistry; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Kinetics; Life Sciences; Malnutrition; Metabolites; Microbiology; Original Paper; Pesticides; Pesticides - metabolism; Phosphatases; Soil Science & Conservation; Spirulina; Spirulina - chemistry; Spirulina - enzymology; Spirulina - metabolism; Spirulina maxima; Spirulina platensis; Terrestrial Pollution; Waste Management/Waste Technology; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control
• ISSN: 0923-9820; 1572-9729
• DOI: 10.1007/s10532-010-9331-6

Spirulina is a photosynthetic, filamentous, spiral-shaped, multicellular, blue-green microalga. The two most important species are Spirulina maxima and Spirulina platensis. Spirulina is considered an excellent food, lacking toxicity and having corrective properties against viral attacks, anemia, tumor growth and malnutrition. We have observed that cultures of Spirulina platensis grow in media containing up to 80 ppm of the organophosphorous pesticide, Chlorpyrifos. It was found to be due to an alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity that was detected in cell free extracts of Spirulina platensis. This activity was purified from the cell free extracts using ammonium sulphate precipitation and gel filtration and shown to belong to the class of EC 3.1.3.1 ALP. The purified enzyme degrades 100 ppm Chlorpyrifos to 20 ppm in 1 h transforming it into its primary metabolite 3, 5, 6-trichloro-2-pyridinol. This is the first report of degradation of Chlorpyrifos by Spirulina platensis whose enzymic mechanism has been clearly identified. These findings have immense potential for harnessing Spirulina platensis in bioremediation of polluted ecosystems.