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Conversion of 2,4,6-trinitrophenol to a mutagen by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

J F Wyman, H E Guard, W D Won

    Applied and Environmental Microbiology
    |February 1, 1979
    PubMed

    Insights

    Pseudomonas aeruginosa anaerobically transformed toxic picric acid into less toxic picramic acid. Picramic acid demonstrated mutagenicity without liver activation, unlike picric acid.

    Area of Science:

    • Environmental microbiology
    • Toxicology
    • Bacterial metabolism

    Background:

    • 2,4,6-trinitrophenol (picric acid) is a toxic explosive compound.
    • Picric acid and its derivatives can pose environmental and health risks.
    • Understanding microbial degradation pathways is crucial for bioremediation.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the microbial transformation of picric acid by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
    • To assess the mutagenicity of picric acid and its transformation product, picramic acid.

    Main Methods:

    • Anaerobic incubation of picric acid with Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
    • Mutagenicity testing using Salmonella typhimurium strains (Ames test).
    • Comparison of mutagenicity with and without rat liver homogenate activation.

    Main Results:

    • Pseudomonas aeruginosa reduced picric acid to picramic acid under anaerobic conditions.
    • Picric acid exhibited mutagenicity (frame shift and base substitution) only after rat liver activation.
    • Picramic acid showed mutagenicity (base pair substitution and frame shift) without liver activation.

    Conclusions:

    • Pseudomonas aeruginosa can bioremediate picric acid to picramic acid.
    • Picramic acid is mutagenic, posing a potential risk without metabolic activation.
    • Microbial transformation can alter the toxicological profile of pollutants.

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