Microbial Degradation and Biotransformation of Xenobiotics: Metabolites and Enzymatic Mechanisms

Microorganisms in gut, terrestrial, and marine habitats degrade and biotransform xenobiotics and dietary compounds including organic pollutants, pharmaceuticals, and hepatotoxic agents through defined enzymatic pathways. This Research Topic focuses specifically on the microbial degradation and biotransformation mechanisms underlying this process: the enzymes and metabolic pathways microorganisms use to break down or chemically modify these compounds, and the bioactive or toxic metabolites this generates.Metal biotransformation and general microbial stress-response signaling are outside this Topic’s focus unless directly and mechanistically tied to xenobiotic degradation.We welcome submissions addressing (but not limited to):-Enzymatic mechanisms of microbial degradation of organic pollutants, xenobiotics, and dietary/hepatotoxic compounds-Characterization of bioactive or toxic metabolites generated through microbial xenobiotic biotransformation-Comparative studies of xenobiotic-degrading enzymes and pathways across gut, terrestrial, and marine microorganisms-Mechanistic studies linking specific microbial degradation pathways to defined toxicological outcomes (e.g., hepatotoxicity, MASLD)-Transcriptomic and proteomic approaches resolving the regulation of microbial xenobiotic-degradation pathwaysExcluded: descriptive microbiome studies based solely on amplicon sequencing and correlation analyses; studies centered on host physiology or pharmacology without a defined microbial mechanism; metal biotransformation or general stress-response studies unrelated to xenobiotic degradation; metabolic engineering approaches without a mechanistic biotransformation focus.Article types: Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Methods, Hypothesis and Theory, Perspective, Opinion, Systematic Review Topic editors: Xiaojia He, Geyi Fu, Varenka J Barbero Becerra Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/84067/microbial-degradation-and-biotransformation-of-xenobiotics-metabolites-and-enzymatic-mechanisms