Characterization and low-temperature biodegradation mechanism of 17β-estradiol-degrading bacterial strain Rhodococcus sp. RCBS9.

Steroidal estrogens residues in the environment can be a serious hazard to humans and animals and has been listed as group 1 carcinogens by World Health Organization (WHO). Microbial degradation is one of the effective strategies for the removal of such contaminants. In this study, a low-temperature degrading bacterial strain (Rhodococcus sp. RCBS9) was isolated from the soil of a dairy farm for 17β-estradiol (E2) degradation. The strain RCBS9 exhibited an efficient degradation potential at low temperatures. To lean how different factors influence E2 degradation, we have found a major role of intracellular enzymes in E2 degradation. Genomic and metabolomic analyses have suggested potential degradation genes and four metabolic pathways. These findings provide valuable strain resources for the low temperature bioremediation of E2 contamination and insights into E2 biodegradation mechanism.

Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

(Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)