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SPLIT ROLE OF PLASMID GENES IN THE DEGRADATION OF CHLORPYRIFOS BY INDIGENOUSLY ISOLATED PSEUDOMONAS PUTIDA MAS-1

MUNAZZA AJAZ¹, NUSRAT JABEEN², TASNEEM ADAM ALI² AND SHEIKH AJAZ RASOOL^2*

Abstract: A chlorpyrifos degrading bacterium Pseudomonas putida MAS-1 was isolated from the cotton grown soil of NIAB, Faisalabad, Pakistan. Genetic studies based on plasmid curing and electroporation mediated transformation were performed on this bacterium. The bacterium lost the property to grow on the nutrient agar containing 10mg/mL chlorpyrifos after acridine orange mediated curing. The plasmid (bearing chlorpyrifos degrading determinants / genes) was isolated and transferred into E. coli DH5a. The transformants however, could not resist and grow in the chlorpyrifos containing medium. It may be concluded that chlorpyrifos degradation Pseudomonas putida MAS-1 is accomplished by the combined action of plasmid and chromosomal genes. 

¹Department of Microbiology, Federal Urdu University of Arts, Sciences & Technology, Karachi

²Department of Microbiology, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan

^*Corresponding author E-mail: rasoolajaz@yahoo.com