Abstract

This study confirmed that white rot fungus Irpex lacteus was able to metabolize 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) with two different initial transformations. In one metabolic pathway of TNT a nitro group was removed from the aromatic ring of TNT. Hydride-Meisenheimer complexes of TNT (H^- -TNT), colored dark red, were confirmed as the intermediate in this transformation by comparison with the synthetic compounds. 2,4-Dinitrotoluene as a following metabolic product was detected, and nitrite produced by denitration of H^- -TNT supported this transformation. In the other TNT pathway, nitro groups in TNT were successively reduced to amine groups via hydroxylamines. Hydroxylamino-dinitrotoluenes and amino-dinitrotoluenes were identified as the intermediates. The activity of a membrane-associated aromatic nitroreductase was detected in the cell-free extract of I. lacteus. This enzyme catalyzed the nitro group reduction of TNT with NADPH as a cofactor. Enzyme activity was not observed in the presence of molecular oxygen.

• Keywords: trinitrotoluene; Irpex lacteus; metabolic pathway; nitroreductase; hydride-Meisenheimer complexes