Minisymposium 22: Phytoremediation

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Abs # M2204: Enhanced Metabolism of A Variety of Environmental Pollutants by Transgenic Plants

Presenter:	Doty, Sharon Lafferty       Contact Presenter
Authors	Doty, Sharon Lafferty (A)   Singleton, Glenda L (A)   James, Andrew C (A)   Kang, Jun W (A)   Vajzovic, Azra  (A)   Bruce, Neil  (B)   Strand, Stuart E (A)
Affiliations:	(A): University Of Washington (B): University of York

Halogenated hydrocarbons, such as trichloroethylene (TCE), carbon tetrachloride, and chloroform, nitroaromatics such as trinitrotoluene (TNT) and RDX, and benzene are all serious environmental contaminants of soil, groundwater, and air. Phytoremediation is the use of plants to remediate polluted sites. Our laboratory studies the metabolism of these pollutants by poplar trees, a genus widely used in phytoremediation applications. By overexpressing mammalian CYP2E1 in transgenic aspen plants, we were able to dramatically increase TCE metabolism over 100-fold. These transgenic plants also have increased removal rates of TCE, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, and benzene, all substrates of this cytochrome P450 enzyme, from both hydroponic solution and from air. Transgenic aspen plants expressing bacterial genes involved in the degradation of TNT and RDX are able to tolerate and remove these explosives at a greater rate from solution than can the control plants. By increasing the metabolism of pollutants in hybrid aspen, we have greatly increased its ability to remove these hazardous compounds from the environment. Projects are underway to extend this research to other plant species for remediation of a broader range of sites.