Phytodetoxification of TNT by transgenic plants expressing bacterial nitroreductase

N. Hannink; C.E. French; J.A.H. Murray; N.C. Bruce; S.J. Rosser; A. Basran; S. Nicklin

doi:10.1038/nbt1201-1168

Phytodetoxification of TNT by transgenic plants expressing bacterial nitroreductase

N. Hannink, C.E. French, J.A.H. Murray, N.C. Bruce, S.J. Rosser, A. Basran, S. Nicklin

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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.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1168-1172
Number of pages	4
Journal	Nature Biotechnology
Volume	19
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt1201-1168
Publication status	Published - 2001

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10.1038/nbt1201-1168

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nbt1201-1168

Cite this

@article{3866c833d3e24cf99b2ae0c8c2f2adf9,

title = "Phytodetoxification of TNT by transgenic plants expressing bacterial nitroreductase",

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.",

author = "N. Hannink and C.E. French and J.A.H. Murray and N.C. Bruce and S.J. Rosser and A. Basran and S. Nicklin",

year = "2001",

doi = "10.1038/nbt1201-1168",

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pages = "1168--1172",

journal = "Nature Biotechnology",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Phytodetoxification of TNT by transgenic plants expressing bacterial nitroreductase

AU - Hannink, N.

AU - French, C.E.

AU - Murray, J.A.H.

AU - Bruce, N.C.

AU - Rosser, S.J.

AU - Basran, A.

AU - Nicklin, S.

PY - 2001

Y1 - 2001

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

U2 - 10.1038/nbt1201-1168

DO - 10.1038/nbt1201-1168

M3 - Article

SN - 1087-0156

VL - 19

SP - 1168

EP - 1172

JO - Nature Biotechnology

JF - Nature Biotechnology

IS - 12

ER -