Bacterium · Chlorophenoxy herbicide degrader
Cupriavidus necator
Strain JMP134 is the textbook organism for 2,4-D breakdown, carrying the full degradation pathway on a single plasmid.
| Contaminant | What the research documents |
|---|---|
| Pesticides & herbicides | tfd pathway on plasmid pJP4; complete mineralization of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (strain JMP134) |
From published research on the species, not tests of an Elm Dirt product. Studies often work with one strain, and sequencing identifies species, so results on a site are measured on that site.
On this page (5 sections)
What it is
Cupriavidus necator is a soil bacterium with an unusually wide appetite for man-made chemicals, and its strain JMP134 is one of the most studied pollutant degraders there is.
Peer-reviewed research shows Cupriavidus necator can degrade 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and related chlorophenoxy herbicides. It is one of the 291 microbial species identified in Plant Juice by independent lab analysis (Biome Makers).
What the research shows
Strain JMP134 degrades the herbicide 2,4-D through the tfd pathway, carried on the plasmid pJP4. Carbon-tracing work followed labelled 2,4-D carbon into the bacterium’s own fatty acids, which shows the herbicide was eaten and not just transformed [1].
The full genome sequence shows a wide catabolic range across aromatic and chlorinated aromatic compounds [3].
2,4-D makes a good test case because it is among the most widely applied herbicides in the world, and its microbial breakdown is understood well enough that the genes serve as environmental markers [2].
How it works
The tfd enzymes strip the side chain, remove the chlorine atoms and open the aromatic ring. What remains goes into ordinary metabolism, and the herbicide ends as carbon dioxide and cell material.
Across pesticide biodegradation, the first breakdown product isn’t always safer than the parent. With organophosphates, one metabolite is toxic, persistent and able to inhibit the organisms degrading it [4]. Pesticide sampling should cover metabolites as well as the parent chemical.
Where it fits
It is the model organism for 2,4-D breakdown, with the pathway mapped gene by gene. It suits farm ground, rights-of-way and turf with decades of chlorophenoxy herbicide use; see pesticides and herbicides. Field results take months to a year or more and are checked by independent lab testing.
Studies
- Lerch TZ, et al. (2007). Tracing 2,4-D metabolism in Cupriavidus necator JMP134 with ¹³C-labelling technique and fatty acid profiling. Journal of Microbiological Methods 71(2):162–174. doi:10.1016/j.mimet.2007.08.003
- Kumar A, Trefault N, Olaniran AO (2016). Microbial degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid: insight into the enzymes and catabolic genes involved, their regulation and biotechnological implications. Critical Reviews in Microbiology 42(2):194–208. doi:10.3109/1040841X.2014.917068
- Lykidis A, et al. (2010). The complete multipartite genome sequence of Cupriavidus necator JMP134, a versatile pollutant degrader. PLoS ONE 5(3):e9729. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0009729
- Armenova N, et al. (2023). Microbial detoxification of residual pesticides in fermented foods: current status and prospects. Foods 12(6):1163. doi:10.3390/foods12061163
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