[Transformation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene by microorganisms]

Transformations of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) by a number of yeasts and fungi have been studied. The major portion of TNT added to the medium is transformed to reduced metabolites: 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene and 4-amino-2,6-dinitrotoluene with the former isomer being in predominance. The scheme of TNT transformation via the nitroreductase stage proposed earlier for bacteria also holds true for yeasts and fungi. The difference between the results cited in this paper and those obtained by other authors can be attributed to the dissimilar biological and chemical stability of TNT reduced metabolites.