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Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Prospecting Microbial Strains for Bioremediation and Probiotics Development for Metaorganism Research and Preservation
Published on: October 31, 2019
Microbial biodegradation of microcystin-RR by bacterium Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05
Mulan Zhang1, Gang Pan, Hai Yan
1State Key Laboratory of Environmental Aquatic Chemistry, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China. zhangmulanmine@yahoo.com.cn
Abstract:
A strain, USTB-05, isolated from Lake Dianchi, China, degraded the cyanobacterial toxin microcystin-RR (MC-RR) at the rate of 16.7 mg/L per day. Analysis of 16S rDNA sequence showed that the strain was Sphingopyxis sp. Enzymatic degradation pathways for MC-RR by Sphingopyxis sp. USTB-05 were identified. Adda-Arg peptide bond of MC-RR was cleaved and then a hydrogen and a hydroxyl were combined onto the NH2 group of Adda and the carboxyl group of arginine to form a linear molecule as intermediate product within the first few hours. Then, through dehydration reaction, two hydrogen of amino group on arginine reacted with adjacent hydroxyl on carbon to form a linear MC-RR with two small peptide rings as the final product after 24 hr. These biodegradation pathways were different from those reported for other strains, implying that MC-RR may undergo different transformations and different products were formed due to various bacteria in natural lakes and reservoirs.
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