Flonicamid (N-cyanomethyl-4-trifluoromethylnicotinamide, FLO), a novel selective systemic pyridinecarboxamide insecticide, effectively controls hemipterous pests. However, microbial degradation of flonicamid, along with the enzymatic mechanism, has not been studied. Here, bacterial isolate PG13, which converts flonicamid into 4-(trifluoromethyl)nicotinol glycine (TFNG) and N-(4-trifluoromethylnicotinoyl)glycinamide (TFNG-AM), was isolated and identified as Alcaligenes faecalis CGMCC 17553. The genome of CGMCC 17553 contained five nitrilases but no nitrile hydratase, and recombinant Escherichia coli strains harboring CGMCC 17553 nitrilase gene nitA or nitD acquired the ability to degrade flonicamid. Purified NitA catalyzed flonicamid into both TFNG and TFNG-AM, indicating dual functionality, while NitD could only produce TFNG-AM. Three-dimensional homology modeling revealed that aromatic amino acid residues in the catalytic pocket affected nitrilase activity. These findings further our understanding of the enzymatic mechanism of flonicamid metabolism in the environment and may help develop a potential bioremediation agent for the elimination of flonicamid contamination.
Keywords: biodegradation; flonicamid; insecticide; nitrilase.