Effect of Glucose Cometabolism on Biodegradation of Gabapentin (an Anticonvulsant Drug) by Gram-Positive Bacteria Micrococcus luteus N.ISM.1

A gram-positive gabapentin-degrading bacteria strain N.ISM.1 was isolated from the pharmaceutical plant soil. According to the analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence, the strain was categorized as a Micrococcus luteus. Though the strain N.ISM.1 is capable of degrading gabapentin (GABA), this compound cannot provide enough carbon source for the isolated strain. M. luteus N.ISM.1 degrades GABA in the presence of glucose. The greater the concentration of secondary simpler carbon source (glucose) for cometabolism, the greater the biodegradation of GABA is. Around 97% of GABA was degraded within a course of 40 days after using 150 mg/L glucose as cometabolic simpler carbon source. M. luteus N.ISM.1 is a promising microorganism for the biodegradation of an anticonvulsant drug GABA contaminated environment and with the aid of cometabolic activity of glucose (150 mg/L) the degradation achieved perfection. GABA biodegradation metabolites were identified by a liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry. This is the very first report of GABA biodegradation as per our concern.