Phytoremediation of Phenanthrene by Transgenic Plants Transformed with a Naphthalene Dioxygenase System from Pseudomonas

• Published in: Environmental science & technology Vol. 48; no. 21; pp. 12824 - 12832
• Main Authors: Peng, Ri-He, Fu, Xiao-Yan, Zhao, Wei, Tian, Yong-Sheng, Zhu, Bo, Han, Hong-Juan, Xu, Jing, Yao, Quan-Hong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 04.11.2014
• Subjects: Adaptation, Physiological - drug effects; Applied sciences; Arabidopsis; Arabidopsis - drug effects; Arabidopsis - genetics; Biodegradation, Environmental - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Bioremediation; Biotechnology; Decontamination. Miscellaneous; Dioxygenases - metabolism; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment and pollution; Environmental Pollution - analysis; Enzymes; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Industrial applications and implications. Economical aspects; Miscellaneous; Multienzyme Complexes - metabolism; Oryza - drug effects; Oryza - physiology; Oryza sativa; Phenanthrenes - metabolism; Phenanthrenes - toxicity; Plant Roots - drug effects; Plant Roots - metabolism; Plant Shoots - drug effects; Plant Shoots - metabolism; Plants, Genetically Modified; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Pseudomonas; Pseudomonas - enzymology; Soil; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil contaminants; Soil contamination; Soil Pollutants - toxicity; Transformation, Genetic; Transgenic plants; Water Pollutants, Chemical - toxicity; Monocotyledones; Mutagen; Soil pollution; Persistent organic pollutant; Arabidopsis thaliana; Oryza sativa; Enzymatic activity; Decontamination; Cruciferae; Gramineae; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Transgenic plant; Bioremediation; Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction; Organic compounds; Quantitative real-time PCR; Phenanthrene; Hydrocarbon; Enzyme; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Low volatile compound; Phytoremediation; Carcinogen; Gene amplification; Spermatophyta; Oxidoreductases; Molecular biology; Genetically modified organism
• ISSN: 0013-936X; 1520-5851
• DOI: 10.1021/es5015357

Genes from microbes for degrading polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are seldom used to improve the ability of plants to remediate the pollution because the initiation of the microbial degradation of PAHs is catalyzed by a multienzyme system. In this study, for the first time, we have successfully transferred the complex naphthalene dioxygenase system of Pseudomonas into Arabidopsis and rice, the model dicot and monocot plant. As in bacteria, all four genes of the naphthalene dioxygenase system can be simultaneously expressed and assembled to an active enzyme in transgenic plants. The naphthalene dioxygenase system can develop the capacity of plants to tolerate a high concentration of phenanthrene and metabolize phenanthrene in vivo. As a result, transgenic plants showed improved uptake of phenanthrene from the environment over wild-type plants. In addition, phenanthrene concentrations in shoots and roots of transgenic plants were generally lower than that of wild type plants. Transgenic plants with a naphthalene dioxygenase system bring the promise of an efficient and environmental-friendly technology for cleaning up PAHs contaminated soil and water.