Isolation of methyl parathion-degrading strain M6 and cloning of the methyl parathion hydrolase gene

A degradative bacterium, M6, was isolated and presumptively identified as P lesiomonas sp. strain M6 was able to hydrolyze methyl parathion to p-nitrop henol. A novel organophosphate hydrolase gene designated mpd was selected f rom its genomic library prepared by shotgun cloning. The nucleotide sequenc e of the mpd gene was determined. The gene could be effectively expressed i n Esherichia coli.