Cloning and characterization of FMN-dependent azoreductases from textile industry effluent identified through metagenomic sequencing

ABSTRACT

Azo dyes, when released untreated in the environment, cause detrimental effects on flora and fauna. Azoreductases are enzymes capable of cleaving commercially used azo dyes, sometimes in less toxic by-products which can be further degraded via synergistic microbial cometabolism. In this study, azoreductases encoded by FMN1 and FMN2 genes were screened from metagenome shotgun sequences generated from the samples of textile dye industries’ effluents, cloned, expressed, and evaluated for their azo dye decolorization efficacy. At pH 7 and 45°C temperature, both recombinant enzymes FMN1 and FMN2 were able to decolorize methyl red at 20 and 100 ppm concentrations, respectively. FMN2 was found to be more efficient in decolorization/degradation of methyl red than FMN1. This study offers valuable insights into the possible application of azoreductases to reduce the environmental damage caused by azo dyes, with the hope of contributing to sustainable and eco-friendly practices for the environment management. This enzymatic approach offers a promising solution for the bioremediation of textile industrial effluents. However, the study acknowledges the need for further process optimization to enhance the efficacy of these enzymes in large-scale applications.

Implications: The study underscores the environmental hazards associated with untreated release of azo dyes into the environment and emphasizes the potential of azoreductases, specifically those encoded by FMN1 and FMN2 genes, to mitigate the detrimental effects. The study emphasizes the ongoing commitment to refining and advancing the enzymatic approach for the bioremediation of azo dye-containing effluents, marking a positive stride toward more sustainable industrial practices.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the paper [and/or] its supplementary materials.

Supplementary data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/10962247.2024.2322513.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of Gujarat.

Notes on contributors

Roshani Mishra

Roshni Mishra was a Researcher at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) at Gujarat-India.

Akhilesh Modi

Akhilesh Modi was a Researcher at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) at Gujarat-India.

Ramesh Pandit

Ramesh Pandit is a Scientist-B at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) at Gujarat-India.

Jyoti Sadhwani

Jyoti Sadhwani was a Researcher at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) at Gujarat-India.

Chaitanya Joshi

Chaitanya Joshi is a Director at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) at Gujarat-India.

Amrutlal K. Patel

Amrutlal K. Patel is a Scientist D and Joint Director at Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre (GBRC) at Gujarat-India.