OrganophosphorusBasedPesticideDegradingBacterialScreeningFrom Agriculture Soils Of Telangana Region.

Abstract

Organophosphorus based pesticides are chemical pesticides which are widely used in India for controlling the pests, insects and plant pathogens. The mode of action of pesticides belonging to this class is on neurotransmitter inhibition as well as muscle suppression by which the target organisms are killed. But since the use of these pesticides is in an uncontrolled and indiscriminate manner in agriculture sector, there is a need to degrade them to protect their harmful effects on environment. Biological degradation of these pesticides areconsidered as better alternatives as this method is both economical as well as eco-friendly.

Bioremediation of organophosphorus pesticides inthevicinity of soil has gained much attention recently because the microbes involved in this process are naturally having the potency to degrade the pesticides in their habitat which is called principle of infallibility. This property was explored for the biological degradation of pesticides. The microorganisms have a special gene known as organophosphate hydrolase or ‘oph’ whose enzyme product when come into contact with the organophosphorus compounds readily degrades them. This organophosphate hydrolase enzyme is well known for its broad spectrum of substrates hydrolysis activity. This activity was taken as a tool for screening of potent bacteria from agriculture soils towards organophosphorus degradation in the present study.

Serial dilutions of the soil samples collected from three different regions of Telanganastate were donetodecline the microbial loadand thenthrough spread plate and streaking techniques, isolated bacterial colonies were obtained. Screening of these colonies for the presence of OPH enzyme was done by mixing the OPDs onto OP medium.

After screening for the potent isolates showing OPH enzyme, it is revealed that the potent isolates which were successful in degradation of organophosphorus pesticideChlorantraniliproleindicatedbybacterialgrowtheveninthepresence

of pesticide and also due to the presence of ‘oph’ gene which was produced OPH enzyme.