title: TNT and nitroaromatic compounds are chemoattractants for Burkholderia cepacia R34 and Burkholderia sp. strain DNT.
abstract: Nitroaromatic compounds are toxic and potential carcinogens. In this study, a drop assay was used to detect chemotaxis toward nitroaromatic compounds for wild-type Burkholderia cepacia R34, wild-type Burkholderia sp. strain DNT, and a 2,4-dinitrotoluene (2,4-DNT) dioxygenase mutant strain (S5). The three strains are chemotactic toward 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2,3-DNT, 2,4-DNT, 2,5-DNT, 2-nitrotoluene (NT), 4NT, and 4-methyl-5-nitrocatechol (4M5NC), but not toward 2,6-DNT. Of these, only 2,4-DNT is a carbon and energy source for B. cepacia R34 and Burkholderia sp. strain DNT, and 4M5NC is an intermediate in the 2,4-DNT degradation pathway. It was determined that the 2,4-DNT dioxygenase genes are not required for the chemotaxis for these nitroaromatic compounds because the DNT DDO mutant S5 has a chemotactic response toward 2,4-DNT although 2,4-DNT is not metabolized by S5; hence, 2,4-DNT itself is the chemoattractant. This is the first report of chemotaxis toward TNT, 2,3-DNT, 2,4-DNT, 2,5-DNT, 2NT, 4NT, and 4M5NC.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Chemical Engineering and Molecular and Cell Biology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
authors.forename: Thammajun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leungsakul
authors.forename: Brendan G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Keenan
authors.forename: Barth F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Smets
authors.forename: Thomas K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D019117:Burkholderia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016956:Burkholderia cepacia / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014303:Trinitrotoluene / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D004136:Dinitrobenzenes; D014303:Trinitrotoluene; C023514:2,6-dinitrotoluene