title: Biotransformation and detoxification of T-2 toxin by soil and freshwater bacteria.
abstract: Bacterial communities isolated from 17 of 20 samples of soils and waters with widely diverse geographical origins utilized T-2 toxin as a sole source of carbon and energy for growth. These isolates readily detoxified T-2 toxin as assessed by a Rhodotorula rubra bioassay. The major degradation pathway of T-2 toxin in the majority of isolates involved side chain cleavage of acetyl moieties to produce HT-2 toxin and T-2 triol. A minor degradation pathway of T-2 toxin that involved conversion to neosolaniol and thence to 4-deacetyl neosolaniol was also detected. Some bacterial communities had the capacity to further degrade the T-2 triol or 4-deacetyl neosolaniol to T-2 tetraol. Two communities, TS4 and KS10, degraded the trichothecene nucleus within 24 to 48 h. These bacterial communities comprised 9 distinct species each. Community KS10 contained 3 primary transformers which were able to cleave acetate from T-2 toxin but which could not assimilate the side chain products, whereas community TS4 contained 3 primary transformers which were able to grow on the cleavage products, acetate and isovalerate. A third community, AS1, was much simpler in structure and contained only two bacterial species, one of which transformed T-2 toxin to T-2 triol in monoculture. In all cases, the complete communities were more active against T-2 toxin in terms of rates of degradation than any single bacterial component. Cometabolic interactions between species is suggested as a significant factor in T-2 toxin degradation.
authors.affiliation: Biological Laboratory, University of Kent, Canterbury, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beeton
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Bull
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D005618:Fresh Water; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012248:Rhodotorula / Q000187:drug effects; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000378:metabolism*; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D013605:T-2 Toxin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014255:Trichothecenes / Q000378:metabolism; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D012717:Sesquiterpenes; D014255:Trichothecenes; D013605:T-2 Toxin