title: Degradation of hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia PB1.
abstract: A mixed microbial culture capable of metabolizing the explosive RDX (hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine) was obtained from soil enrichments under aerobic and nitrogen-limiting conditions. A bacterium, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia PB1, isolated from the culture used RDX as a sole source of nitrogen for growth. Three moles of nitrogen was used per mole of RDX, yielding a metabolite identified by mass spectroscopy and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance analysis as methylene-N-(hydroxymethyl)-hydroxylamine-N'-(hydroxymethyl)nitroamin e. The bacterium also used s-triazine as a sole source of nitrogen but not the structurally similar compounds octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine, cyanuric acid, and melamine. An inducible RDX-degrading activity was present in crude cell extracts.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Binks
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nicklin
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Bruce
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D007700:Kinetics; D015394:Molecular Structure; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D014227:Triazines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014974:Xanthomonas / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014227:Triazines; C009160:cyclonite