Comparative Genomic Analysis of Antarctic Pseudomonas Isolates with 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene Transformation Capabilities Reveals Their Unique Features for Xenobiotics Degradation

The nitroaromatic explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a highly toxic and persistent environmental pollutant. Since physicochemical methods for remediation are poorly effective, the use of microorganisms has gained interest as an alternative to restore TNT-contaminated sites. We previously demonstrated the high TNT-transforming capability of three novel Pseudomonas spp. isolated from Deception Island, Antarctica, which exceeded that of the well-characterized TNT-degrading bacterium Pseudomonas putida KT2440. In this study, a comparative genomic analysis was performed to search for the metabolic functions encoded in the genomes of these isolates that might explain their TNT-transforming phenotype, and also to look for differences with 21 other selected pseudomonads, including xenobiotics-degrading species. Comparative analysis of xenobiotic degradation pathways revealed that our isolates have the highest abundance of key enzymes related to the degradation of fluorobenzoate, TNT, and bisphenol A. Further comparisons considering only TNT-transforming pseudomonads revealed the presence of unique genes in these isolates that would likely participate directly in TNT-transformation, and others involved in the β-ketoadipate pathway for aromatic compound degradation. Lastly, the phylogenomic analysis suggested that these Antarctic isolates likely represent novel species of the genus Pseudomonas, which emphasizes their relevance as potential agents for the bioremediation of TNT and other xenobiotics.