Metabolic engineering of CSV86 to degrade Carbaryl (1-naphthyl--methylcarbamate) via the salicylate-catechol route.

CSV86 displays the unique property of preferential utilization of aromatic compounds over simple carbon sources like glucose and glycerol and their co-metabolism with organic acids. Well-characterized growth conditions, aromatic compound metabolic pathways and their regulation, genome sequence, and advantageous eco-physiological traits (indole acetic acid production, alginate production, fusaric acid resistance, organic sulfur utilization, and siderophore production) make it an ideal host for metabolic engineering. Strain CSV86 was engineered for Carbaryl (1-naphthyl--methylcarbamate) degradation via salicylate-catechol route by expression of a Carbaryl hydrolase (CH) and a 1-naphthol 2-hydroxylase (1NH). Additionally, the engineered strain exhibited faster growth on Carbaryl upon expression of the McbT protein (encoded by the T gene, a part of Carbaryl degradation upper operon of sp. C5pp). Bioinformatic analyses predict McbT to be an outer membrane protein, and Carbaryl-dependent expression suggests its probable role in Carbaryl uptake. Enzyme activity and protein analyses suggested periplasmic localization of CH (carrying transmembrane domain plus signal peptide sequence at the N-terminus) and 1NH, enabling compartmentalization of the pathway. Enzyme activity, whole-cell oxygen uptake, spent media analyses, and qPCR results suggest that the engineered strain preferentially utilizes Carbaryl over glucose. The plasmid-encoded degradation property was stable for 75-90 generations even in the absence of selection pressure (kanamycin or Carbaryl). These results indicate the utility of CSV86 as a potential host for engineering various aromatic compound degradation pathways.IMPORTANCEThe current study describes engineering of Carbaryl metabolic pathway in CSV86. Carbaryl, a naphthalene-derived carbamate pesticide, is known to act as an endocrine disruptor, mutagen, cytotoxin, and carcinogen. Removal of xenobiotics from the environment using bioremediation faces challenges, such as slow degradation rates, instability of the degradation phenotype, and presence of simple carbon sources in the environment. The engineered CSV86-MEC2 overcomes these disadvantages as Carbaryl was degraded preferentially over glucose. Furthermore, the plasmid-borne degradation phenotype is stable, and presence of glucose and organic acids does not repress Carbaryl metabolism in the strain. The study suggests the role of outer membrane protein McbT in Carbaryl transport. This work highlights the suitability of CSV86 as an ideal host for engineering aromatic pollutant degradation pathways.