Enhanced phytoremediation of volatile environmental pollutants with transgenic trees.
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.
Doty
Sharon L
SL
College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA. sldoty@u.washington.edu
James
C Andrew
CA
Moore
Allison L
AL
Vajzovic
Azra
A
Singleton
Glenda L
GL
Ma
Caiping
C
Khan
Zareen
Z
Xin
Gang
G
Kang
Jun Won
JW
Park
Jin Young
JY
Meilan
Richard
R
Strauss
Steven H
SH
Wilkerson
Jasmine
J
Farin
Federico
F
Strand
Stuart E
SE
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
D000393:Air Pollutants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D012996:Solutions; D014241:Trichloroethylene; D002725:Chloroform; D002251:Carbon Tetrachloride; D019392:Cytochrome P-450 CYP2E1; D001554:Benzene