Integrated metabolomic and genomic profiling reveals Bacillus cereus-mediated degradation pathways for...

Glufosinate-ammonium (GLA), a widely used herbicide, has raised increasing environmental concerns due to its persistence and tendency to accumulate in the environment. Microbial remediation represents a promising and eco-friendly strategy for mitigating GLA contamination. In this study, we isolated a GLA-degrading bacterium, Bacillus cereus strain GY002, from rice and optimized its degradation conditions using a combination of single-factor experiments and orthogonal design. Metabolomic analysis identified several key differential metabolites, most notably 4-methylphosphono-2-oxobutanoic acid, allowing us to propose a putative pathway for GLA degradation. Whole-genome sequencing, annotated across multiple databases, revealed functional genes associated with secondary metabolite biosynthesis and antibiotic resistance. By integrating comparative genomics with our metabolomic data, we identified four candidate genes potentially involved in GLA degradation: GE004489 (a phosphoesterase/hydrolase), likely responsible for cleaving the phosphonate bond; GE002681 (a dehydrogenase/oxidoreductase), implicated in redox reactions; GE003397 (a transmembrane transporter), potentially involved in substrate or product translocation; and GE002065 (a multifunctional enzyme with transport-catalytic activity), which may facilitate both degradation and efflux. Collectively, these findings provide a theoretical foundation and a valuable microbial resource for the bioremediation of GLA-contaminated environments.