Plasma membrane dependent reduction of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

A plasma membrane redox system of Phanerochaete chrysosporium was found to reduce 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT). Reduction required intact, live mycelia. No reduction was observed with either supplemented (NADPH, NADH or ATP) or unsupplemented extracellular or intracellular fractions, either under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. Reduction was inhibited by potassium ferricyanide, 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium, carbonyl cyanide p-trifluoromethoxyphenyl hydrazone, 2,4-dinitrophenol, sodium azide, and tetranitroblue tetrazolium but not by nitroblue tetrazolium, 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium and blue tetrazolium. At higher pH, the rate of reduction as well as proton pumping was enhanced.