2,4,6-trinitrotoluene reduction by carbon monoxide dehydrogenase from Clostridium thermoaceticum

Purified CO dehydrogenase (CODH) from Clostridium thermoaceticum catalyzed the transformation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). The intermediates and reduced products of TNT transformation were separated and appear to be identical to the compounds formed by C. acetobutylicum, namely, 2-hydroxylamino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2HA46DNT), 4-hydroxylamino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4HA26DNT), 2, 4-dihydroxylamino-6-nitrotoluene (24DHANT), and the Bamberger rearrangement product of 2,4-dihydroxylamino-6-nitrotoluene. In the presence of saturating CO, CODH catalyzed the conversion of TNT to two monohydroxylamino derivatives (2HA46DNT and 4HA26DNT), with 4HA26DNT as the dominant isomer. These derivatives were then converted to 24DHANT, which slowly converted to the Bamberger rearrangement product. Apparent K(m) and k(cat) values of TNT reduction were 165 +/- 43 microM for TNT and 400 +/- 94 s(-1), respectively. Cyanide, an inhibitor for the CO/CO(2) oxidation/reduction activity of CODH, inhibited the TNT degradation activity of CODH.     

Transformation of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene by Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes JS52

Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes JS52 grows on nitrobenzene via partial reduction of the nitro group and enzymatic rearrangement of the resultant hydroxylamine. Cells and cell extracts of nitrobenzene-grown JS52 catalyzed the transient formation of 4-hydroxylamino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4HADNT), 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4ADNT), and four previously unidentified metabolites from 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Two of the novel metabolites were identified by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry and (sup1)H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy as 2,4-dihydroxylamino-6-nitrotoluene (DHANT) and 2-hydroxylamino-4-amino-6-nitrotoluene (2HA4ANT). A polar yellow metabolite also accumulated during transformation of TNT by cells and cell extracts. Under anaerobic conditions, extracts of strain JS52 did not catalyze the production of the yellow metabolite or release nitrite from TNT; moreover, DHANT and 2HA4ANT accumulated under anaerobic conditions, which indicated that their further metabolism was oxygen dependent. Small amounts of nitrite were released during transformation of TNT by strain JS52. Sustained transformation of TNT by cells required nitrobenzene, which indicated that TNT transformation does not provide energy. Transformation of TNT catalyzed by enzymes in cell extracts required NADPH. Transformation experiments with (sup14)C-TNT indicated that TNT was not mineralized; however, carbon derived from TNT became associated with cells. Nitrobenzene nitroreductase purified from strain JS52 transformed TNT to DHANT via 4HADNT, which indicated that the nitroreductase could catalyze the first two steps in the transformation of TNT. The unusual ability of the nitrobenzene nitroreductase to catalyze the stoichiometric reduction of aromatic nitro compounds to the corresponding hydroxylamine provides the basis for the novel pathway for metabolism of TNT.     

Rapid separation of reduction products of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene using TLC

Silica gel TLC methods were developed for the separation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) in mixtures with possible reduction products. The methods employed repeated elutions with simple binary or ternary solvent systems in either one or two dimensional modes. The resolved analytes include TNT, selected amino derivatives (2-amino-4,6-di-nitrotoluene, 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene) and known hydroxylamino derivatives (2-hydroxyl-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, 4-hydroxylamino-2,6-dinitrotoluene and 2,4-dihydroxylamino-6-nitrotoluene).     

Biotransformation of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene with Phanerochaete chrysosporium in Agitated Cultures at pH 4.5

The biotransformation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) (175 μM) by Phanerochaete chrysosporium with molasses and citric acid at pH 4.5 was studied. In less than 2 weeks, TNT disappeared completely, but mineralization (liberated ¹⁴CO₂) did not exceed 1%. A time study revealed the presence of several intermediates, marked by the initial formation of two monohydroxylaminodinitrotoluenes (2- and 4-HADNT) followed by their successive transformation to several other products, including monoaminodinitrotoluenes (ADNT). A group of nine acylated intermediates were also detected. They included 2-N-acetylamido-4,6-dinitrotoluene and its p isomer, 2-formylamido-4,6-dinitrotoluene and its p isomer (as acylated ADNT), 4-N-acetylamino-2-amino-6-nitrotoluene and 4-N-formylamido-2-amino-6-nitrotoluene (as acetylated DANT), 4-N-acetylhydroxy-2,6-dinitrotoluene and 4-N-acetoxy-2,6-dinitrotoluene (as acetylated HADNT), and finally 4-N-acetylamido-2-hydroxylamino-6-nitrotoluene. Furthermore, a fraction of HADNTs were found to rearrange to their corresponding phenolamines (Bamberger rearrangement), while another group dimerized to azoxytoluenes which in turn transformed to azo compounds and eventually to the corresponding hydrazo derivatives. After 30 days, all of these metabolites, except traces of 4-ADNT and the hydrazo derivatives, disappeared, but mineralization did not exceed 10% even after the incubation period was increased to 120 days. The biotransformation of TNT was accompanied by the appearance of manganese peroxidase (MnP) and lignin-dependent peroxidase (LiP) activities. MnP activity was observed almost immediately after TNT disappearance, which was the period marked by the appearance of the initial metabolites (HADNT and ADNT), whereas the LiP activity was observed after 8 days of incubation, corresponding to the appearance of the acyl derivatives. Both MnP and LiP activities reached their maximum levels (100 and 10 U/liter, respectively) within 10 to 15 days after inoculation.     

TNT Biotransformation and Detoxification by a Pseudomonas Aeruginosa Strain

Successful microbial-mediated remediation requires transformationpathways that maximize metabolism and minimize the accumulation of toxic products. Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain MX, isolated from munitions-contaminated soil, degraded 100 mg TNT L^-1 in culture medium within 10 h under aerobic conditions. The major TNT products were 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2ADNT, primarily in the supernatant) and 2,2'-azoxytoluene (2,2'AZT, primarily in the cell fraction), which accumulated as major products via the intermediate2-hydroxylamino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2HADNT). The 2HADNT and2,2'AZT were relatively less toxic to the strain than TNT and 2ADNT. Aminodinitrotoluene (ADNT) production increased when yeast extract was added to the medium. While TNT transformation rate was not affected by pH, more HADNTs accumulated at pH 5.0 than at pH 8.0 and AZTs did not accumulate at the lower pH. The appearance of 2,6-diamino-4-nitrotoluene (2,6DANT) and 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene (2,4DANT); dinitrotoluene (DNT) and nitrotoluene (NT); and 3,5-dinitroaniline (3,5DNA) indicated various routes of TNT metabolism and detoxification by P. aeruginosa strain MX.     

Biotransformation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene with Phanerochaete chrysosporium in agitated cultures at pH 4.5.

The biotransformation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) (175 microM) by Phanerochaete chrysosporium with molasses and citric acid at pH 4.5 was studied. In less than 2 weeks, TNT disappeared completely, but mineralization (liberated 14CO2) did not exceed 1%. A time study revealed the presence of several intermediates, marked by the initial formation of two monohydroxylaminodinitrotoluenes (2- and 4-HADNT) followed by their successive transformation to several other products, including monoaminodinitrotoluenes (ADNT). A group of nine acylated intermediates were also detected. They included 2-N-acetylamido-4,6-dinitrotoluene and its p isomer, 2-formylamido-4, 6-dinitrotoluene and its p isomer (as acylated ADNT), 4-N-acetylamino-2-amino-6-nitrotoluene and 4-N-formylamido-2-amino-6-nitrotoluene (as acetylated DANT), 4-N-acetylhydroxy-2,6-dinitrotoluene and 4-N-acetoxy-2, 6-dinitrotoluene (as acetylated HADNT), and finally 4-N-acetylamido-2-hydroxylamino-6-nitrotoluene. Furthermore, a fraction of HADNTs were found to rearrange to their corresponding phenolamines (Bamberger rearrangement), while another group dimerized to azoxytoluenes which in turn transformed to azo compounds and eventually to the corresponding hydrazo derivatives. After 30 days, all of these metabolites, except traces of 4-ADNT and the hydrazo derivatives, disappeared, but mineralization did not exceed 10% even after the incubation period was increased to 120 days. The biotransformation of TNT was accompanied by the appearance of manganese peroxidase (MnP) and lignin-dependent peroxidase (LiP) activities. MnP activity was observed almost immediately after TNT disappearance, which was the period marked by the appearance of the initial metabolites (HADNT and ADNT), whereas the LiP activity was observed after 8 days of incubation, corresponding to the appearance of the acyl derivatives. Both MnP and LiP activities reached their maximum levels (100 and 10 U/liter, respectively) within 10 to 15 days after inoculation.     

Mutagenicities of 2,4- and 2,6-dinitrotoluenes and their reduced products in Salmonella typhimurium nitroreductase- and O-acetyltransferase-overproducing Ames test strains

Mutagenicities of 2,4- and 2,6-dinitrotoluene (2,4-and 2,6-DNT), and reduced metabolites formed by the incubation of 2,4- and 2,6-DNT with Salmonella typhimurium TA98, were tested using S. typhimurium YG strains possessing high level of nitroreductase (NR) and/or O-acetyltransferase (OAT) activities. All compounds tested showed greatest mutagenic activities toward strains YG1041 and YG1042, which possess high levels of NR and OAT activities. The relative mutagenic activities of 2,4-DNT and its related compounds toward YG1041 and YG1042 were aminonitrotoluenes (2A4NT, 4A2NT)<2,4-DNT<2,2′-dimethyl-5,5′-dinitroazoxybenzene (2,2′-DM-5,5′-DNAOB)4-hydroxylamino-2-nitrotoluene (4HA2NT)4,4′-dimethyl-3,3′-dinitroazoxybenzene (4,4′-DM-3,3′-DNAOB), and aminonitrotoluenes (2A4NT, 4A2NT)<2,4-DNT<4HA2NT4,4′-dimethyl-3,3′-dinitroazoxybenzene (4,4′-DM-3,3′-DNAOB)<2HA4NT, respectively. In addition, the relative mutagenic activities of 2,6-DNT and its related compounds toward YG1041 and YG1042 were 2,6-DNT<2-hydroxylamino-6-nitrotoluene (2HA6NT)<2,2′-dimethyl-3,3′-dinitroazoxybenzene (2,2′-DM-3,3′-DNAOB), and 2-amino-6-nitrotoluene (2A6NT)<2,6-DNT<2HA6NT, respectively. These results, together with previous findings, suggested that aminohydroxylamino dimethylazoxybenzenes or aminohydroxylamino dimethylazobenzenes produced either by the reduction of hydroxylaminonitrotoluenes or by the reduction of dimethyl dinitroazoxybenzenes are active metabolites responsible for the mutagenic activities of 2,4- and 2,6-DNT.     

Anaerobic transformation of 2,4,6-TNT by bovine ruminal microbes

Degradation of TNT by bovine rumen fluid, a novel source of anaerobic microbes, was investigated. Whole rumen fluid contents were spiked with TNT and incubated for a 24h time period. Supernatant samples taken at 0, 1, 2, 4, and 24h were analyzed by reverse-phase HPLC with diode array detection. Within 1h, TNT was not detectable and reduction products of TNT including 2-hydroxyl-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, 4-hydroxylamino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene were present with smaller amounts of diamino-nitrotoluenes. Within 2h, only the diamino and dihydroxyamino-nitrotoluene products remained. After 4h, 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene and 2,4-dihydroxyamino-6-nitrotoluene were the only known molecular species left. At 24h known UV absorbing metabolites were no longer detected, suggesting further transformation such as complete reduction to triaminotoluene or destruction of the aromatic ring of TNT may have occurred. TNT was not transformed at 24h in autoclaved and buffered controls. This study presents the first direct evidence of biodegradation of TNT by ruminal microbes.     

Transformation of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene by Purified Xenobiotic Reductase B from Pseudomonas fluorescens I-C

The enzymatic transformation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by purified XenB, an NADPH-dependent flavoprotein oxidoreductase from Pseudomonas fluorescens I-C, was evaluated by using natural abundance and [U-¹⁴C]TNT preparations. XenB catalyzed the reduction of TNT either by hydride addition to the aromatic ring or by nitro group reduction, with the accumulation of various tautomers of the protonated dihydride-Meisenheimer complex of TNT, 2-hydroxylamino-4,6-dinitrotoluene, and 4-hydroxylamino-2,6-dinitrotoluene. Subsequent reactions of these metabolites were nonenzymatic and resulted in predominant formation of at least three dimers with an anionic m/z of 376 as determined by negative-mode electrospray ionization mass spectrometry and the release of ~0.5 mol of nitrite per mol of TNT consumed. The extents of the initial enzymatic reactions were similar in the presence and in the absence of O₂, but the dimerization reaction and the release of nitrite were favored under aerobic conditions or under anaerobic conditions in the presence of NADP⁺. Reactions of chemically and enzymatically synthesized and high-pressure liquid chromatography-purified TNT metabolites showed that both a hydroxylamino-dinitrotoluene isomer and a tautomer of the protonated dihydride-Meisenheimer complex of TNT were required precursors for the dimerization and nitrite release reactions. The m/z 376 dimers also reacted with either dansyl chloride or N-1-naphthylethylenediamine HCl, providing evidence for an aryl amine functional group. In combination, the experimental results are consistent with assigning the chemical structures of the m/z 376 species to various isomers of amino-dimethyl-tetranitrobiphenyl. A mechanism for the formation of these proposed TNT metabolites is presented, and the potential enzymatic and environmental significance of their formation is discussed.     

NAD(P)H:Flavin Mononucleotide Oxidoreductase Inactivation during 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene Reduction

Bacteria readily transform 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), a contaminant frequently found at military bases and munitions production facilities, by reduction of the nitro group substituents. In this work, the kinetics of nitroreduction were investigated by using a model nitroreductase, NAD(P)H:flavin mononucleotide (FMN) oxidoreductase. Under mediation by NAD(P)H:FMN oxidoreductase, TNT rapidly reacted with NADH to form 2-hydroxylamino-4,6-dinitrotoluene and 4-hydroxylamino-2,6-dinitrotoluene, whereas 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene were not produced. Progressive loss of activity was observed during TNT reduction, indicating inactivation of the enzyme during transformation. It is likely that a nitrosodinitrotoluene intermediate reacted with the NAD(P)H:FMN oxidoreductase, leading to enzyme inactivation. A half-maximum constant with respect to NADH, K_N, of 394 μM was measured, indicating possible NADH limitation under typical cellular conditions. A mathematical model that describes the inactivation process and NADH limitation provided a good fit to TNT reduction profiles. This work represents the first step in developing a comprehensive enzyme level understanding of nitroarene biotransformation.     

Degradation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by immobilized microorganism-biological filter

The combined process of immobilized microorganism-biological filter was used to degrade TNT in an aqueous solution. The results showed that the process could effectively degrade TNT, which was not detected in the effluent of the system. GC/MS analysis identified 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-A-4,6-DNT), 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene (4-A-2,6-DNT), 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene (2,4-DA-6-NT) and 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene (2,6-DA-4-NT) as the main anaerobic degradation products. In addition, the Haldane model successfully described the anaerobic degradation of TNT with high correlation coefficients (R² = 0.9803). As the electron donor, ethanol played a major role in the TNT biodegradation. More than twice the theoretical requirement of ethanol was necessary to achieve a high TNT degradation rate (above 97.5%). Moreover, Environment Scan Electron Microscope (ESEM) analysis revealed that a large number of globular microorganisms were successfully immobilized on the surface of the carrier. Further analysis by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (DGGE) demonstrated that the special bacterial for TNT degradation may have generated during the domestication with TNT for 150 days. The dominant species for TNT degradation were identified by comparing gene sequences with Genebank.     

TNT and nitroaromatic compounds are chemoattractants for Burkholderia cepacia R34 and Burkholderia sp. strain DNT

Nitroaromatic compounds are toxic and potential carcinogens. In this study, a drop assay was used to detect chemotaxis toward nitroaromatic compounds for wild-type Burkholderia cepacia R34, wild-type Burkholderia sp. strain DNT, and a 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) dioxygenase mutant strain (S5). The three strains are chemotactic toward 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,3-DNT, 2,4-DNT, 2,5-DNT, 2-nitrotoluene (NT), 4NT, and 4-methyl-5-nitrocatechol (4M5NC), but not toward 2,6-DNT. Of these, only 2,4-DNT is a carbon and energy source for B. cepacia R34 and Burkholderia sp. strain DNT, and 4M5NC is an intermediate in the 2,4-DNT degradation pathway. It was determined that the 2,4-DNT dioxygenase genes are not required for the chemotaxis for these nitroaromatic compounds because the DNT DDO mutant S5 has a chemotactic response toward 2,4-DNT although 2,4-DNT is not metabolized by S5; hence, 2,4-DNT itself is the chemoattractant. This is the first report of chemotaxis toward TNT, 2,3-DNT, 2,4-DNT, 2,5-DNT, 2NT, 4NT, and 4M5NC.     

Anaerobic transformation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT)

A sulfate-reducing bacterium using trinitrotoluene (TNT) as the sole nitrogen source was isolated with pyruvate and sulfate as the energy sources. The organism was able to reduce TNT to triaminotoluene (TAT) in growing cultures and cell suspensions and to further transform TAT to still unknown products. Pyruvate, H₂, or carbon monoxide served as the electron donors for the reduction of TNT. The limiting step in TNT conversion to TAT was the reduction of 2,4-diamino-6-nitrotoluene (2,4-DANT) to triaminotoluene. The reduction proceeded via 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxylaminotoluene (DAHAT) as an intermediate. The intermediary formation of DAHAT was only observed in the presence of carbon monoxide or hydroxylamine, respectively. The reduction of DAHAT to triaminotoluene was inhibited by both CO and NH₂OH. The inhibitors as well as DANT and DAHAT significantly inhibited sulfide formation from sulfite. The data were taken as evidence for the involvement of dissimilatory sulfite reductase in the reduction of DANT and/or DAHAT to triaminotoluene. Hydrogenase purified from Clostridium pasteurianum and carbon monoxide dehydrogenase partially purified from Clostridium thermoaceticum also catalyzed the reduction of DANT in the presence of methyl viologen or ferredoxin, however, as the main reduction product DAHAT rather than triaminotoluene was formed. The findings could explain the function of CO as an electron donor for the DANT reduction (to DAHAT) and the concomitant inhibitory effect of CO on triaminotoluene formation (from DAHAT) by the inhibition of sulfite reductase. Triaminotoluene is further anaerobically converted to unknown products by the isolate under sulfate-reducing and by a Pseudomonas strain under denitrifying conditions. Triaminotoluene conversion was also catalyzed in the absence of cells under aerobic conditions by trace elements, especially by Mn²⁺, accompanied by the elimination of ammonia in a stoichiometry of 1 NH₃ released per TAT transformed. The results might be of interest for the bioremediation of wastewater polluted with nitroaromatic compounds.Abbreviations TNT = 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene DANT - 2,4-DANT = 2,4-Diamino-6-nitrotoluene - 2,6-DANT = 2,6-Diamino-4-nitrotoluene - ADNT = aminodinitrotoluene - 2-ADNT and 4-ADNT amino substituent at positions 2 or 4 - TAT = 2,4,6-Triaminotoluene - DAHAT = 2,4-Diamino-6-hydroxylaminotoluene - MV = Methyl viologen - Fd = Ferredoxin - H₂ase = Hydrogenase - CODH = Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase - Pyr: Fd OR = Pyruvate: ferredoxin oxidoreductase - U = Units = mol of substrate converted per min     

Purification and characterization of NAD(P)H-dependent nitroreductase I from Klebsiella sp. C1 and enzymatic transformation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene

Three NAD(P)H-dependent nitroreductases that can transform 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by two reduction pathways were detected in Klebsiella sp. C1. Among these enzymes, the protein with the highest reduction activity of TNT (nitroreductase I) was purified to homogeneity using ion-exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and size exclusion chromatographies. Nitroreductase I has a molecular mass of 27 kDa as determined by SDS-PAGE, and exhibits a broad pH optimum between 5.5 and 6.5, with a temperature optimum of 30–40°C. Flavin mononucleotide is most likely the natural flavin cofactor of this enzyme. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of this enzyme does not show a high degree of sequence similarity with nitroreductases from other enteric bacteria. This enzyme catalyzed the two-electron reduction of several nitroaromatic compounds with very high specific activities of NADPH oxidation. In the enzymatic transformation of TNT, 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene and 2,2′,6,6′-tetranitro-4,4′-azoxytoluene were detected as transformation products. Although this bacterium utilizes the direct ring reduction and subsequent denitration pathway together with a nitro group reduction pathway, metabolites in direct ring reduction of TNT could not easily be detected. Unlike other nitroreductases, nitroreductase I was able to transform hydroxylaminodinitrotoluenes (HADNT) into aminodinitrotoluenes (ADNT), and could reduce ortho isomers (2-HADNT and 2-ADNT) more easily than their para isomers (4-HADNT and 4-ADNT). Only the nitro group in the ortho position of 2,4-DNT was reduced to produce 2-hydroxylamino-4-nitrotoluene by nitroreductase I; the nitro group in the para position was not reduced.     

Drosophila GSTs display outstanding catalytic efficiencies with the environmental pollutants 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and 2,4-dinitrotoluene

The nitroaromatic explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and the related 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) are toxic environmental pollutants. The biotransformation and detoxication of these persistent compounds in higher organisms are of great significance from a health perspective as well as for the biotechnological challenge of bioremediation of contaminated soil. We demonstrate that different human glutathione transferases (GSTs) and GSTs from the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster are catalysts of the biotransformation of TNT and DNT. The human GSTs had significant but modest catalytic activities with both DNT and TNT. However, D. melanogaster GSTE6 and GSTE7 displayed outstanding high activities with both substrates.     

Enzyme Specificity of 2-Nitrotoluene 2,3-Dioxygenase from Pseudomonas sp. Strain JS42 Is Determined by the C-Terminal Region of the α Subunit of the Oxygenase Component

Biotransformations with recombinant Escherichia coli expressing the genes encoding 2-nitrotoluene 2,3-dioxygenase (2NTDO) from Pseudomonas sp. strain JS42 demonstrated that 2NTDO catalyzes the dihydroxylation and/or monohydroxylation of a wide range of aromatic compounds. Extremely high nucleotide and deduced amino acid sequence identity exists between the components from 2NTDO and the corresponding components from 2,4-dinitrotoluene dioxygenase (2,4-DNTDO) from Burkholderia sp. strain DNT (formerly Pseudomonas sp. strain DNT). However, comparisons of the substrates oxidized by these dioxygenases show that they differ in substrate specificity, regiospecificity, and the enantiomeric composition of their oxidation products. Hybrid dioxygenases were constructed with the genes encoding 2NTDO and 2,4-DNTDO. Biotransformation experiments with these hybrid dioxygenases showed that the C-terminal region of the large subunit of the oxygenase component (ISPα) was responsible for the enzyme specificity differences observed between 2NTDO and 2,4-DNTDO. The small subunit of the terminal oxygenase component (ISPβ) was shown to play no role in determining the specificities of these dioxygenases.     

Reduction and Acetylation of 2,4-Dinitrotoluene by a Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain

Aerobic and anoxic biotransformation of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) was examined by using a Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain isolated from a plant treating propellant manufacturing wastewater. DNT biotransformation in the presence and absence of oxygen was mostly reductive and was representative of the type of cometabolic transformations that occur when a high concentration of an easily degradable carbon source is present. P. aeruginosa reduced both nitro groups on DNT, with the formation of mainly 4-amino-2-nitrotoluene and 2-amino-4-nitrotoluene and small quantities of 2,4-diaminotoluene. Acetylation of the arylamines was a significant reaction. 4-Acetamide-2-nitrotoluene and the novel compounds 2-acetamide-4-nitrotoluene, 4-acetamide-2-aminotoluene, and 2,4-diacetamidetoluene were identified as DNT metabolites. The biotransformation of 2,4-diaminotoluene to 4-acetamide-2-aminotoluene was 24 times faster than abiotic transformation. 2-Nitrotoluene and 4-nitrotoluene were also reduced to their corresponding toluidines and then acetylated. However, the yield of 4-acetamidetoluene was much higher than that of 2-acetamidetoluene, demonstrating that acetylation at the position para to the methyl group was favored.     

Urinary metabolites of workers exposed to nitrotoluenes.

Nitrotoluenes are important intermediates in the chemical industry. 2,6-Dinitrotoluene (26DNT), 2,4-dinitrotoluene (24DNT) and 2-nitrotoluene (2NT) are carcinogenic in animals and possibly carcinogenic in humans. Thus, it is important to develop methods to biomonitor workers exposed to such chemicals. The authors have monitored the air and urine metabolite levels for a group of workers in China exposed to 24DNT, 26DNT, 2NT and 4-nitrotoluene (4NT). The metabolites 2,4-dinitrobenzylalcohol (24DNBAlc), 2-amino-4-nitrobenzoic acid (2A4NBA), 4-amino-2-nitrobenzoic acid (4A2NBA) and 2,4-dinitrobenzoic acid (24DNBA) resulting from exposure to 24DNT were found in 89, 88, 91 and 78% of the exposed workers, respectively. The metabolites 2,6-dinitrobenzylalcohol (26DNBAlc) and 2,6-dinitrobenzoic acid resulting from 26DNT exposure were found in 99 and 86% of the exposed workers, respectively. Quantitatively, 2A4NBA, 4A2NBA and 26DNBAlc were the major metabolites. The nitrobenzoic acids were the major metabolites resulting from exposure to 2NT and 4NT and were present in 96 and 73% of the exposed workers, respectively. Air concentrations of DNT and 2NT did not correlate with the levels of metabolites in the urine. In conclusion, the dinitrobenzyl alcohols and aminonitrobenzoic acids determined in the urine provided a good marker for recently absorbed dose and were intrinsically related to the bioactivation and detoxification pathways of DNT. Air measurements were not a good measure to predict internal exposure.     

TNT biodegradation and production of dihydroxylamino-nitrotoluene by aerobic TNT degrader <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas</Emphasis> sp. strain TM15 in an anoxic environment

Anaerobic bacteria have been used to produce 2,4-dihydroxylamino-nitrotoluene (2,4DHANT), a reductive metabolite of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Here, an aerobic TNT biodegrader Pseudomonas sp. strain TM15 produced 2,4DHANT as evidenced by the molecular ion with m/z of 199 identified from LC-TOFMS analyses. TNT biodegradation with a high cell concentration (10⁹ cells/ml) led to a significant accumulation of 2,4DHANT in the culture medium, as well as hydroxylamino-dinitrotoluenes (HADNTs), although these products were not accumulated when a low cell concentration was used; also, the accumulation of diamino-nitrotoluene and of an unidentified metabolite were observed in the culture medium with the high cell concentration (10¹⁰ cells/ml). 2,4DHANT overproduction was a function of the aeration speed since cultures with low aeration speeds (30 rpm) had a 19-fold higher DHANT productivity than those aerated with high speeds (180 rpm); this indicates that molecular oxygen was related to the formation of 2,4DHANT. The quantification of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the media demonstrated that the productivity of 2,4DHANT was increased at low DO values. Moreover, supplying oxygen to the culture media produced a remarkable decrease of 2,4DHANT accumulation; these results clearly indicate that high 2,4DHANT production was a consequence of the oxygen deficit in the culture medium. This finding is useful for understanding the TNT biodegradation (bioremediation technology) in an anoxic environment. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Engineering Pseudomonas fluorescens for Biodegradation of 2,4-Dinitrotoluene

Using the genes encoding the 2,4-dinitrotoluene degradation pathway enzymes, the nonpathogenic psychrotolerant rhizobacterium Pseudomonas fluorescens ATCC 17400 was genetically modified for degradation of this priority pollutant. First, a recombinant strain designated MP was constructed by conjugative transfer from Burkholderia sp. strain DNT of the pJS1 megaplasmid, which contains the dnt genes for 2,4-dinitrotoluene degradation. This strain was able to grow on 2,4-dinitrotoluene as the sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and energy at levels equivalent to those of Burkholderia sp. strain DNT. Nevertheless, loss of the 2,4-dinitrotoluene degradative phenotype was observed for strains carrying pJS1. The introduction of dnt genes into the P.fluorescens ATCC 17400 chromosome, using a suicide chromosomal integration Tn5-based delivery plasmid system, generated a degrading strain that was stable for a long time, which was designated RE. This strain was able to use 2,4-dinitrotoluene as a sole nitrogen source and to completely degrade this compound as a cosubstrate. Furthermore, P. fluorescens RE, but not Burkholderia sp. strain DNT, was capable of degrading 2,4-dinitrotoluene at temperatures as low as 10°C. Finally, the presence of P. fluorescens RE in soils containing levels of 2,4-dinitrotoluene lethal to plants significantly decreased the toxic effects of this nitro compound on Arabidopsis thaliana growth. Using synthetic medium culture, P. fluorescens RE was found to be nontoxic for A.thaliana and Nicotiana tabacum, whereas under these conditions Burkholderia sp. strain DNT inhibited A.thaliana seed germination and was lethal to plants. These features reinforce the advantageous environmental robustness of P. fluorescens RE compared with Burkholderia sp. strain DNT.