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Applications of Microbial Organophosphate-Degrading Enzymes to Detoxification of Organophosphorous Compounds for Medical Countermeasures against Poisoning and Environmental Remediation

Summary

Organophosphate compounds are toxic chemicals used as pesticides and banned chemical weapons that pose serious health and environmental risks. Scientists have discovered and engineered special enzymes from bacteria and other microorganisms that can break down these toxic compounds. These enzymes can be used as medical treatments to protect people exposed to organophosphates or as environmental cleanup tools to decontaminate poisoned soil and water.

Background

Organophosphorous compounds (OPs) are highly toxic chemicals used as pesticides, chemical warfare agents, and industrial compounds that pose significant threats to human health and the environment. Microbial enzymes capable of degrading OPs have been identified from various bacterial, archaeal, and fungal sources, offering potential applications for medical countermeasures and environmental remediation.

Objective

This review examines the current knowledge on OP-degrading enzymes from microorganisms, their mechanisms of action, sources of isolation, protein engineering strategies, and applications in both medical treatment of OP poisoning and environmental bioremediation.

Results

Multiple enzyme families capable of degrading OPs have been identified and characterized, with significant improvements achieved through protein engineering. Phosphotriesterase from Brevundimonas diminuta has been engineered to improve catalytic efficiency against nerve agents by up to 4 orders of magnitude. Applications include bioscavengers for medical use, environmental bioremediation, surface decontamination, and encapsulation in nanoparticles for improved stability and efficacy.

Conclusion

Microbial OP-degrading enzymes represent promising therapeutic and environmental tools. Future developments should focus on large-scale production, improved stability formulations, nanoencapsulation strategies, and field-applicable enzymatic systems for both medical countermeasures against OP poisoning and sustainable environmental remediation of contaminated sites.
  • Published in:International Journal of Molecular Sciences,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 39063063, doi: 10.3390/ijms25147822
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