<i>Dehalogenimonas</i> Strain W from Estuarine Sediments Dechlorinates 1,2-Dichloroethane under Elevated Salinity

Organohalide-respiring bacteria (OHRB) have been found in various environments and play an indispensable role in the biogeochemical cycling and detoxification of halogenated organic compounds (HOCs). Currently, few ORHB have been reported to perform reductive dechlorination under high salinity conditions, indicating a knowledge gap on the diversity of OHRB and the survival strategy of OHRB in saline environments (e.g., estuarine, marine). This study reports the characterization of an enrichment culture dominated by a new <i>Dehalogenimonas</i> population strain W derived from estuarine sediments, which demonstrates the capability to dechlorinate 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) to ethene under elevated salinity (≥5.1% NaCl, w/v). Metagenomic and proteomic analyses revealed that the distinctive high-salinity dechlorination of strain W is primarily attributed to a putative reductive dehalogenase (RDase) DdeA, which shares >91.4% amino acid identity with the dihaloeliminating RDase DcpA from other <i>Dehalogenimonas</i> strains. Additionally, ectoine biosynthesis enzymes (EctABC) contribute to the strain's salt tolerance. These findings underscore the potential of OHRB, particularly <i>Dehalogenimonas</i>, to detoxify HOCs in high-salinity environments, such as estuarine and marine ecosystems, by employing compatible solutes as an adaptive mechanism.