2. Academic Validation
  3. Performance, kinetics, and mechanism of 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene biodegradation by a newly isolated marine microalga

Performance, kinetics, and mechanism of 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene biodegradation by a newly isolated marine microalga

  • J Environ Manage. 2025 Jan:373:123907. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123907.
Haiping Li 1,  Fanping Meng 2,  Shuhao Du 1,  Jiali Cui 1
Affiliations

Affiliations

  • 1 Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China.
  • 2 Key Laboratory of Marine Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China; College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
PMID: 39806730 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123907
Abstract

Recently, marine pollution by the accidental spills of C9 aromatics has raised public concerns, especially for 1,2,3-trimethylbenzene (1,2,3-TMB) because it is high-toxic and refractory. However, insufficient understanding of molecular mechanism underlying the biodegradation of 1,2,3-TMB hindered research on its bioremediation. In addition, microalgae-mediated bioremediation is popular due to its eco-friendliness and carbon sequestration. In this study, a marine diatom with degradation capability of 1,2,3-TMB, Chaetoceros sp. QG-1, was isolated from coastal area of Quangang, China. According to kinetics, the degradation efficiency of 1,2,3-TMB was the highest at 5 mg/L (K = 0.237/d) compared with Other concentrations. Furthermore, the degradation mechanism of 1,2,3-TMB by Chaetoceros sp. QG-1 was revealed through analysis of degradation products and omics. 1,2,3-TMB was converted into 2,3-dimethylbenzoic acid and 2-hydroxypropionic acid by Enzymes including non-heme Fe (II) and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent (2OG Fe (II)) oxygenase, UDP-glucose-6-dehydrogenase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, and Other short-chain dehydrogenases, wherein, 2OG Fe (II) oxygenase was identified as the key enzyme to oxidize 1,2,3-TMB. This study provided species and theoretical supports for the bioremediation of marine environments contaminated with 1,2,3-TMB.

Keywords

1,2,3-Trimethylbenzene; Biodegradation mechanism; Chaetoceros sp.; Key enzymes; Kinetics; Omics.

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