A bacterium capable of utilizing fenitrothion (O,O-dimethyl O-4-nitro-m-tolyl phosphorothioate) as a sole carbon source was isolated from fenitrothion-treated soil. This bacterium was characterized taxonomically as being a member of the genus Burkholderia and was designated strain NF100. NF100 first hydrolyzed an organophosphate bond of fenitrothion, forming 3-methyl-4-nitrophenol, which was further metabolized to methylhydroquinone. The ability to degrade fenitrothion was found to be encoded on two plasmids, pNF1 and pNF2.