Biodegradation of deoxynivalenol and its derivatives by Devosia insulae A16

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a notorious mycotoxin mainly found in Fusarium-contaminated crops, causes great loss in livestock farming and severe safety risks to human health. Here we report the isolation of a Gram-negative bacterial strain with effective biodegrading abilities on DON and its derivatives including 3-acetyl-DON and 15-acetyl-DON. The strain was identified as Devosia insulae A16 on the basis of morphological and physiological characteristics and 16S rRNA-based phylogenetic analysis. D. insulae A16 was able to degrade 88% of 20 mg/l DON within 48 h under aerobic conditions at 35 °C and neutral pH. The major degradation product of DON and its derivatives was 3-keto-DON by the oxidation of the hydroxyl group at C-3. Both 3-acetyl-DON and 15-acetyl-DON underwent a deacetylation reaction to generate DON prior to the degradation to 3-keto-DON. The results provide the potential use of D. insulae A16 as a biodegradation agent to control DON contamination in cereals.