Poster: Heavy metals & phytoremediation

Abs # 44: Metabolism of Organic Pollutants by Non-Transgenic and Transgenic Cottonwood

Presenter:	Doty, Sharon L, sldoty@u.washington.edu
Authors	Doty, Sharon L (A)   Vajzovic, Azra  (A)   Moore, Allison L. (A)   Zakharova, Natalia L. (A)   Meilan, Richard  (B)   Gordon, Milton P. (A)   Strand, Stuart E. (A)
Affiliations:	(A): University of Washington (B): Purdue University
Web Site:	http://faculty.washington.edu/sldoty/

Our laboratory studies the metabolism of the common chlorinated pollutant, trichloroethylene (TCE), by plant cells. Using sterile hairy root cultures, plant cell suspension cultures, and hydroponically-grown plants, we have demonstrated that plant cells are capable of metabolizing TCE. With the addition of mammalian cytochrome P450 genes, transgenic plants are able to metabolize TCE and other halogenated pollutants to a greater extent than control plants. We have demonstrated that tobacco plants expressing human P450 2E1 have greatly enhanced metabolism of TCE and ethylene dibromide (EDB). Hairy root cultures of Atropa belledonna expressing rabbit P450 2E1 also had enhanced metabolism of TCE compared to nontransgenic lines. We have moved beyond these model plants and have transformed poplar (cottonwood; Populus) with the P450 2E1 genes, and will present data comparing transgenic and non-transgenic poplar in their abilities to metabolize halogenated pollutants.