In the present study, the degradation mechanisms of beta-cypermethrin and its metabolites in soil were explored through the quantitative response relationships between the degradation rates and related functional genes. We found that the degradation rate of beta-cypermethrin was rapid in unsterilized soil but not in sterilized soil, which indicated that the degradation process is microbially based. Moreover, three metabolites (3-phenoxybenzoic acid, phenol and protocatechuic acid) were detected during the degradation process and used to identify the degradation pathway and functional genes related to the degradation process. The key rate-limiting functional genes were pytH and pobA, and the relative contributions of these genes to the degradation process were examined with a path analysis. The path analysis revealed that the genes pobA and pytH had the greatest direct effects on the degradation of beta-cypermethrin (pobA), alpha-cypermethrin (pobA), theta-cypermethrin (pytH) and 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (pytH). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.