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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2004, p. 3566-3574, Vol. 70, No. 6
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.6.3566-3574.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Biotransformation of Explosives by the Old Yellow Enzyme Family of Flavoproteins

Richard E. Williams,1,{dagger} Deborah A. Rathbone,1,{ddagger} Nigel S. Scrutton,2 and Neil C. Bruce1*

Institute of Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QT,1 Department of Biochemistry, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, United Kingdom2

Received 12 November 2003/ Accepted 24 February 2004

Several independent studies of bacterial degradation of nitrate ester explosives have demonstrated the involvement of flavin-dependent oxidoreductases related to the old yellow enzyme (OYE) of yeast. Some of these enzymes also transform the nitroaromatic explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). In this work, catalytic capabilities of five members of the OYE family were compared, with a view to correlating structure and function. The activity profiles of the five enzymes differed substantially; no one compound proved to be a good substrate for all five enzymes. TNT is reduced, albeit slowly, by all five enzymes. The nature of the transformation products differed, with three of the five enzymes yielding products indicative of reduction of the aromatic ring. Our findings suggest two distinct pathways of TNT transformation, with the initial reduction of TNT being the key point of difference between the enzymes. Characterization of an active site mutant of one of the enzymes suggests a structural basis for this difference.

* Corresponding author. Present address: CNAP, University of York, P.O. Box 373, York YO10 5YW, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 1904 328777. Fax: 44 1904 328801. E-mail: ncb5{at}york.ac.uk.

{dagger} Present address: MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge CB2 2QH, United Kingdom.

{ddagger} Present address: CNAP, University of York, York YO10 5YW, United Kingdom.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, June 2004, p. 3566-3574, Vol. 70, No. 6
0099-2240/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/AEM.70.6.3566-3574.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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