• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.250-250
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• 2002

This study confirmed that white rot fungus Irpex lacteus was able to metabolize 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) with two different initial transformations. In one metabolic pathway of TNT a nitro group was removed from the aromatic ring of TNT. Hydride-Meisenheimer complexes of TNT (H/sup -/-TNT), colored dark redo were confirmed as the intermediate in this transformation by comparison with the synthetic compounds. 2,4-Dinitrotoluene as a following metabolic product was detected, and nitrite produced by denitration of $H^-$-TNT supported this transformation. In the other TNT pathway, nitro groups in TNT were successively reduced to amino groups via hydroxylamines. Hydroxylamino-dinitrotoluenes and amino-dinitrotoluenes were identified as the intermediates. The activity of a membrane-associated aromatic nitroreductase was detected in the cell-free extract of I. lacteus. This enzyme catalyzed the nitro group reduction of TNT with NADPH as a cofactor, Enzyme activity was not observed in the presence of molecular oxygen.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.38 no.4
• /
• pp.250-254
• /
• 2000

This study confirmed that white rot fungus Irpex lacteus was able to metabolize 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) with two different initial transformations. In one metabolic pathway of TNT a nitro group was removed from the aromatic ring of TNT. Hydride-Meisenheimer complexes of TNT (H$\^$-/-TNT), colored dark redo were confirmed as the intermediate in this transformation by comparison with the synthetic compounds. 2,4-Dinitrotoluene as a following metabolic product was detected, and nitrite produced by denitration of H$\^$-/-TNT supported this transformation. In the other TNT pathway, nitro groups in TNT were successively reduced to amino groups via hydroxylamines. Hydroxylamino-dinitrotoluenes and amino-dinitrotoluenes were identified as the intermediates. The activity of a membrane-associated aromatic nitroreductase was detected in the cell-free extract of I. lacteus. This enzyme catalyzed the nitro group reduction of TNT with NADPH as a cofactor, Enzyme activity was not observed in the presence of molecular oxygen.