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- Title
Phytodetoxification of TNT by transgenic plants expressing a bacterial nitroreductase.
- Authors
Hannink, Nerissa; Rosser, Susan J.; French, Christopher E.; Basran, Amrik; Murray, James A.H.; Nicklin, Stephen; Bruce, Neil C.
- Abstract
There is major international concern over the wide-scale contamination of soil and associated ground water by persistent explosives residues. 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene (TNT) is one of the most recalcitrant and toxic of all the military explosives. The lack of affordable and effective cleanup technologies for explosives contamination requires the development of better processes. Significant effort has recently been directed toward the use of plants to extract and detoxify TNT. To explore the possibility of overcoming the high phytotoxic effects of TNT, we expressed bacterial nitroreductase in tobacco plants. Nitroreductase catalyzes the reduction of TNT to hydroxyaminodinitrotoluene (HADNT), which is subsequently reduced to aminodinitrotoluene derivatives (ADNTs). Transgenic plants expressing nitroreductase show a striking increase in ability to tolerate, take up, and detoxify TNT. Our work suggests that expression of nitroreductase (NR) in plants suitable for phytoremediation could facilitate the effective cleanup of sites contaminated with high levels of explosives.
- Subjects
TNT (Chemical); SOIL remediation; TRANSGENIC plants
- Publication
Nature Biotechnology, 2001, Vol 19, Issue 12, p1168
- ISSN
1087-0156
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/nbt1201-1168