RESUMEN
Phthalate esters (PAEs) are widely used as plasticizers and cause serious complex pollution problem in environment. Thus, strains with efficient ability to simultaneously degrade various PAEs are required. In this study, a newly isolated strain Rhodococcus sp. AH-ZY2 can degrade 500 mg/L Di-n-octyl phthalate completely within 16 h and other 500 mg/L PAEs almost completely within 48 h at 37 °C, 180 rpm, and 2 % (v/v) inoculum size of cultures with a OD600 of 0.8. OD600 = 0.8, 2 % (v/v). Twenty genes in its genome were annotated as potential esterase and four of them (3963, 4547, 5294 and 5359) were heterogeneously expressed and characterized. Esterase 3963 and 4547 is a type I PAEs esterase that hydrolyzes PAEs to phthalate monoesters. Esterase 5294 is a type II PAEs esterase that hydrolyzes phthalate monoesters to phthalate acid (PA). Esterase 5359 is a type III PAEs esterase that simultaneously degrades various PAEs to PA. Molecular docking results of 5359 suggested that the size and indiscriminate binding feature of spacious substrate binding pocket may contribute to its substrate versatility. AH-ZY2 is a potential strain for efficient remediation of PAEs complex pollution in environment. It is first to report an esterase that can efficiently degrade mixed various PAEs.