An explosive-degrading cytochrome P450 activity and its targeted application for the phytoremediation of RDX

E.L. Rylott; R.J. Jackson; G.L. Womack; H.M.B. Seth-Smith; D.A. Rathbone; S.E. Strand; N.C. Bruce; J. Edwards

doi:10.1038/nbt1184

An explosive-degrading cytochrome P450 activity and its targeted application for the phytoremediation of RDX

E.L. Rylott, R.J. Jackson, G.L. Womack, H.M.B. Seth-Smith, D.A. Rathbone, S.E. Strand, N.C. Bruce, J. Edwards

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Abstract

The widespread presence in the environment of hexahydro1,3,5-trinitro- 1,3,5-triazine (RDX), one of the most widely used military explosives, has raised concern owing to its toxicity and recalcitrance to degradation. To investigate the potential of plants to remove RDX from contaminated soil and water, we engineered Arabidopsis thaliana to express a bacterial gene xplA encoding an RDX-degrading cytochrome P450 (ref.1). We demonstrate that the P450 domain of XplA is fused to a flavodoxin redox partner and catalyzes the degradation of RDX in the absence of oxygen. Transgenic A. thaliana expressing xplA removed and detoxified RDX from liquid media. As a model system for RDX phytoremediation, A. thaliana expressing xplA was grown in RDX-contaminated soil and found to be resistant to RDX phytotoxicity, producing shoot and root biomasses greater than those of wild-type plants. Our work suggests that expression of xplA in landscape plants may provide a suitable remediation strategy for sites contaminated by this class of explosives.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	216-219
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nature Biotechnology
Volume	24
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1184
Publication status	Published - Feb 2006

Keywords

ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT
SP STRAIN DN22
HEXAHYDRO-1,3,5-TRINITRO-1,3,5-TRIAZINE RDX
BIODEGRADATION
DEGRADATION
GENOME
2,4,6-TRINITROTOLUENE
GROUNDWATER
INSIGHT
GROWTH

Access to Document

10.1038/nbt1184

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nbt1184

Cite this

@article{f7a3289eb0f040f68646a800aded4f2a,

title = "An explosive-degrading cytochrome P450 activity and its targeted application for the phytoremediation of RDX",

abstract = "The widespread presence in the environment of hexahydro1,3,5-trinitro- 1,3,5-triazine (RDX), one of the most widely used military explosives, has raised concern owing to its toxicity and recalcitrance to degradation. To investigate the potential of plants to remove RDX from contaminated soil and water, we engineered Arabidopsis thaliana to express a bacterial gene xplA encoding an RDX-degrading cytochrome P450 (ref.1). We demonstrate that the P450 domain of XplA is fused to a flavodoxin redox partner and catalyzes the degradation of RDX in the absence of oxygen. Transgenic A. thaliana expressing xplA removed and detoxified RDX from liquid media. As a model system for RDX phytoremediation, A. thaliana expressing xplA was grown in RDX-contaminated soil and found to be resistant to RDX phytotoxicity, producing shoot and root biomasses greater than those of wild-type plants. Our work suggests that expression of xplA in landscape plants may provide a suitable remediation strategy for sites contaminated by this class of explosives.",

keywords = "ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT, SP STRAIN DN22, HEXAHYDRO-1,3,5-TRINITRO-1,3,5-TRIAZINE RDX, BIODEGRADATION, DEGRADATION, GENOME, 2,4,6-TRINITROTOLUENE, GROUNDWATER, INSIGHT, GROWTH",

author = "E.L. Rylott and R.J. Jackson and G.L. Womack and H.M.B. Seth-Smith and D.A. Rathbone and S.E. Strand and N.C. Bruce and J. Edwards",

year = "2006",

month = feb,

doi = "10.1038/nbt1184",

language = "English",

volume = "24",

pages = "216--219",

journal = "Nature Biotechnology",

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T1 - An explosive-degrading cytochrome P450 activity and its targeted application for the phytoremediation of RDX

AU - Rylott, E.L.

AU - Jackson, R.J.

AU - Womack, G.L.

AU - Seth-Smith, H.M.B.

AU - Rathbone, D.A.

AU - Strand, S.E.

AU - Bruce, N.C.

AU - Edwards, J.

PY - 2006/2

Y1 - 2006/2

N2 - The widespread presence in the environment of hexahydro1,3,5-trinitro- 1,3,5-triazine (RDX), one of the most widely used military explosives, has raised concern owing to its toxicity and recalcitrance to degradation. To investigate the potential of plants to remove RDX from contaminated soil and water, we engineered Arabidopsis thaliana to express a bacterial gene xplA encoding an RDX-degrading cytochrome P450 (ref.1). We demonstrate that the P450 domain of XplA is fused to a flavodoxin redox partner and catalyzes the degradation of RDX in the absence of oxygen. Transgenic A. thaliana expressing xplA removed and detoxified RDX from liquid media. As a model system for RDX phytoremediation, A. thaliana expressing xplA was grown in RDX-contaminated soil and found to be resistant to RDX phytotoxicity, producing shoot and root biomasses greater than those of wild-type plants. Our work suggests that expression of xplA in landscape plants may provide a suitable remediation strategy for sites contaminated by this class of explosives.

AB - The widespread presence in the environment of hexahydro1,3,5-trinitro- 1,3,5-triazine (RDX), one of the most widely used military explosives, has raised concern owing to its toxicity and recalcitrance to degradation. To investigate the potential of plants to remove RDX from contaminated soil and water, we engineered Arabidopsis thaliana to express a bacterial gene xplA encoding an RDX-degrading cytochrome P450 (ref.1). We demonstrate that the P450 domain of XplA is fused to a flavodoxin redox partner and catalyzes the degradation of RDX in the absence of oxygen. Transgenic A. thaliana expressing xplA removed and detoxified RDX from liquid media. As a model system for RDX phytoremediation, A. thaliana expressing xplA was grown in RDX-contaminated soil and found to be resistant to RDX phytotoxicity, producing shoot and root biomasses greater than those of wild-type plants. Our work suggests that expression of xplA in landscape plants may provide a suitable remediation strategy for sites contaminated by this class of explosives.

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