Microbial degradation of nitrogenous xenobiotics of environmental concern

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the broad and updated overview of the physiological, biochemical, and genetic basis of biodegradation of nitrogenous compounds by aerobic and anaerobic micro-organisms. Xenobiotic compounds have been used extensively in agriculture as herbicides and insecticides and in the manufacturing industry as surfactants, dyes, drugs, solvents, and so on. Aliphatic and aromatic organic nitrogen compounds represent an important fraction of these chemicals. Even if many of the nitrogenous compounds are highly toxic and often recalcitrant to microbial attack, the microorganisms exposed to these synthetic chemicals have developed the ability to utilize some of them. For every compound that has proven to be biodegradable, the load of environmental pollutants is reduced. The assessment of biodegradability opens the way for the development of microbiological methods for the clean-up of soils and waters, contaminated with synthetic compounds. As bioremediation has its basis in the physiology and ecology of micro-organisms, these methods have to be developed according to the capabilities of these micro-organisms to ensure an optimal performance in those habitats. Moreover, the development of genetic manipulation techniques gives us the possibility to construct new strains with the desired “capabilities” for the degradation of xenobiotics. The employment of these strains could enhance the possibilities to decontaminate polluted environments.