title: Toward protein engineering for phytoremediation: possibilities and challenges.
abstract: The combination of rational protein engineering and directed evolution techniques allow for the redesign of enzymes with tailored properties for use in environmental remediation. This review summarizes current molecular methods for either altering or improving protein function and highlights examples of how these methods can address bioremediation problems. Although much of the protein engineering applied to environmental clean-up employs microbial systems, there is great potential for and significant challenges to translating these approaches to plant systems for phytoremediation purposes. Protein engineering technologies combined with genomic information and metabolic engineering strategies hold promise for the design of plants and microbes to remediate organic and inorganic pollutants.
authors: Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA. jjez@wustl.edu
authors: Joseph M
authors: JM
authors: Jez
mesh_terms: D001149:Arsenates / Q000494:pharmacology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000378:metabolism; D019020:Directed Molecular Evolution / Q000379:methods*; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism; D023281:Genomics; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D060847:Metabolic Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D009876:Operon; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D001149:Arsenates; D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010940:Plant Proteins; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System; D010105:Oxygenases; D006867:Hydrolases; C046137:haloalkane dehalogenase; C025657:arsenic acid