Genomics-informed insights into microbial degradation of N,N-dimethylformamide

Effective degradation of N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF), an important industrial waste product, is challenging as only few bacterial isolates are known to be capable of degrading DMF. Aerobic remediation of DMF has typically been used, whereas anoxic remediation attempts are recently made, using nitrate as one electron acceptor, and ideally include methane as a byproduct. Here, we analyzed 20,762 complete genomes and 28 constructed draft genomes for the genes associated with DMF degradation. We identified 952 genomes that harbor genes involved in DMF degradation, expanding the known diversity of prokaryotes with these metabolic capabilities. Our findings suggest acquisition of DMF-degrading gene via plasmids are important in the order Rhizobiales and genus Paracoccus, but not in most other lineages. Degradation pathway analysis reveals that most putative DMF degraders using aerobic Pathway I will accumulate methylamine intermediate, while members of Paracoccus, Rhodococcus, Achromobacter, and Pseudomonas could potentially mineralize DMF completely under aerobic conditions. The aerobic DMF degradation via Pathway II is more common than thought and is primarily present in α-and β-Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria. Most putative DMF degraders could grow with nitrate anaerobically (Pathway III), however, genes for the use of methyl-CoM to produce methane were not found. These analyses suggest that microbial consortia could be more advantageous in DMF degradation than pure culture, particularly for methane production under the anaerobic condition. The identified genomes and plasmids form an important foundation for optimizing bioremediation of DMF-containing wastewaters.ImportanceDMF is extensively used as a solvent in industries, and is classified as a probable carcinogen. DMF is a refractory compound resistant to degradation, and until now, only few bacterial isolates have been reported to degrade DMF. To achieve effective microbial degradation of DMF from wastewater, it is necessary to identify genomic diversity with the potential to degrade DMF and characterize the genes involved in two aerobic degradation pathways and potential anaerobic degradation for methane production. A wide diversity of organisms has the potential to degrade DMF. Plasmid-mediated degradation of DMF is important for Rhizobiales and Paracoccus. Most DMF degraders could grow anaerobically with nitrate as electron acceptor, while co-cultures are required to complete intermediate methanogenesis for methane production. This is the first genomics-based global investigation into DMF degradation pathways. The genomic database generated by this study provides an important foundation for the bioremediation of DMF in industrial waste waters.Abstract Figure