Trimethylamine monooxygenase ( Tmm, EC-1.14.13.148) belongs to the family of flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) that oxidize trimethylamine into trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). Conventional methods for assaying Tmm are accurate over a narrow range of substrate/ product concentrations. Here we report a TMAO-specific enzymatic assay for Tmm using polyallylamine hydrochloride (PAHCl)-capped MnO nanoparticles (PAHCl@MnO ). We achieved TMAO specificity using iodoacetonitrile to remove interfering trimethylamine. The change in the concentration of TMAO is measured by observing the difference in the absorbance of 3,3´,5,5´-tetramethylbenzidine (TMB) at 652 nm. The assay is tolerant to several interfering metal ions and other compounds. This method is more reliable and easier than currently known methods. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) are 1 µM and 10 µM, respectively, for direct TMAO measurement.

Paracoccus sp. strain DMF (P. DMF from henceforth) is a gram-negative heterotroph known to tolerate and utilize high concentrations of N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF). The work presented here elaborates on the metabolic pathways involved in the degradation of C1 compounds, many of which are well-known pollutants and toxic to the environment. Investigations on microbial growth and detection of metabolic intermediates corroborate the outcome of the functional genome analysis. Several classes of C1 compounds, such as methanol, methylated amines, aliphatic amides, and naturally occurring quaternary amines like glycine betaine, were tested as growth substrates. The detailed growth and kinetic parameter analyses reveal that P. DMF can efficiently aerobically degrade trimethylamine (TMA) and grow on quaternary amines such as glycine betaine. The results show that the mechanism for halotolerant adaptation in the presence of glycine betaine is dissimilar from those observed for conventional trehalose-mediated halotolerance in heterotrophic bacteria. In addition, a close genomic survey revealed the presence of a Co(I)-based substrate-specific corrinoid methyltransferase operon, referred to as mtgBC. This demethylation system has been associated with glycine betaine catabolism in anaerobic methanogens and is unknown in denitrifying aerobic heterotrophs. This report on an anoxic-specific demethylation system in an aerobic heterotroph is unique. Our finding exposes the metabolic potential for the degradation of a variety of C1 compounds by P. DMF, making it a novel organism of choice for remediating a wide range of possible environmental contaminants.

A simple process of synthesizing coated filter element substrates (FES) containing zinc oxide (ZnO) nanorods and ZnO graphene-oxide nanocomposite for a pilot-scale industrial dye-effluent treatment plant is proposed. This work reports a detailed analysis of the photocatalysis mechanism on real industrial effluent streams containing a mixture of dyes. The analysis is very relevant for conducting advanced oxidation process-assisted effluent remediation at a field-level treatment operation. Estimation of the dye concentration shows nearly complete (≥98%) degradation from an initial dye sample concentration. A detailed study for the analysis of the initial reactive dyes and their degradation products was performed for quantification and identification of the degradation products through various spectral techniques. A design of the remediation mechanism through degradation pathways is proposed for characterizing the organic compounds in the degraded dye products. A regeneration and reusability study was performed on the FES presenting the durability of the FES-designed synthesis process originally for 11 cycles and regenerated FES for six cycles for achieving a threshold of 60% degradation efficiency. The experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of FES through the designed immobilized approach for the complete remediation of textile dye effluents for a 4 h treatment plant process and the consistent operability of the FES for the combined dye wastewater treatment operations.

Paracoccus species are metabolically versatile gram-negative, aerobic, facultative methylotrophic bacteria showing enormous promise for environmental and bioremediation studies. Here we report the complete genome analysis of Paracoccus sp. strain DMF (P. DMF) that was isolated from a domestic wastewater treatment plant in Kanpur, India (26.4287°N, 80.3891°E) based on its ability to degrade a recalcitrant organic solvent N, N-dimethylformamide (DMF). The results reveal a genome size of 4,202,269 base pairs (bp) with a G+C content of 67.9%. The assembled genome comprises 4,141 coding sequences (CDS), 46 RNA sequences, and 2 CRISPRs. Interestingly, catabolic operons related to the conventional marine-based methylated amines (MAs) degradation pathway could be functionally annotated within the genome of P. DMF, which is an obligated aerobic heterotroph. The genomic data-based characterization presented here for the novel heterotroph P. DMF aims to improve the understanding of the phenotypic gene products, enzymes, and pathways involved with greater emphasis on facultative methylotrophic motility-based latent pathogenicity.