title: Enhanced phytoremediation of volatile environmental pollutants with transgenic trees.
abstract: Small, volatile hydrocarbons, including trichloroethylene, vinyl chloride, carbon tetrachloride, benzene, and chloroform, are common environmental pollutants that pose serious health effects. We have developed transgenic poplar (Populus tremula x Populus alba) plants with greatly increased rates of metabolism and removal of these pollutants through the overexpression of cytochrome P450 2E1, a key enzyme in the metabolism of a variety of halogenated compounds. The transgenic poplar plants exhibited increased removal rates of these pollutants from hydroponic solution. When the plants were exposed to gaseous trichloroethylene, chloroform, and benzene, they also demonstrated superior removal of the pollutants from the air. In view of their large size and extensive root systems, these transgenic poplars may provide the means to effectively remediate sites contaminated with a variety of pollutants at much faster rates and at lower costs than can be achieved with current conventional techniques.
authors.affiliation: College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA. sldoty@u.washington.edu
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Doty
authors.forename: C Andrew
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Allison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Azra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vajzovic
authors.forename: Glenda L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Singleton
authors.forename: Caiping
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Zareen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xin
authors.forename: Jun Won
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Jin Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meilan
authors.forename: Steven H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Strauss
authors.forename: Jasmine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilkerson
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Farin
authors.forename: Stuart E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Strand
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification; D000818:Animals; D001554:Benzene / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002725:Chloroform / Q000302:isolation & purification; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018527:Hydroponics; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D032107:Populus / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D011817:Rabbits; D012996:Solutions; D019076:Transgenes; D014241:Trichloroethylene / Q000378:metabolism; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012996:Solutions; D014241:Trichloroethylene; D002725:Chloroform; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; D001554:Benzene