Degradation and metagenomic analysis of 4-chlorophenol utilizing multiple metal tolerant bacterial consortium

Chlorophenols are persistent environmental pollutants used in synthesizing dyes, drugs, pesticides, and other industrial products. The chlorophenols released from these processes seriously threaten the environment and human health. The present study describes 4-chlorophenol (4-CP) degradation activity and metagenome structure of a bacterial consortium enriched in a 4-CP-containing medium. The consortium utilized 4-CP as a single carbon source at a wide pH range, temperature, and in the presence of heavy metals. The immobilized consortium retained its degradation capacity for an extended period. The 4-aminoantipyrine colorimetric analysis revealed complete mineralization of 4-CP up to 200 mg/L concentration and followed the zero-order kinetics. The addition of glycerol and yeast extract enhanced the degradation efficiency. The consortium showed both ortho- and meta-cleavage activity of catechol dioxygenase. Whole genome sequence (WGS) analysis revealed the microbial compositions and functional genes related to xenobiotic degradation pathways. The identified genes were mapped on the KEGG database to construct the 4-CP degradation pathway. The results exhibited the high potential of the consortium for bioremediation of 4-CP contaminated sites. To our knowledge, this is the first report on WGS analysis of a 4-CP degrading bacterial consortium.