1
|
Sun K, Dai LZ, Chen MH, Si YB, Fang GD, Li SY, Yu HQ. Laccase-induced decontamination and humification mechanisms of estrogen in water-crop matrices. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae118. [PMID: 38595803 PMCID: PMC11002785 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Enzymatic humification plays a crucial biogeochemical role in eliminating steroidal estrogens and expanding organic carbon stocks. Estrogenic contaminants in agroecosystems can be taken up and acropetally translocated by crops, but the roles of laccase-triggered rhizospheric humification (L-TRH) in pollutant dissipation and plant uptake remain poorly understood. In this study, the laccase-induced decontamination and humification mechanisms of 17β-estradiol (E2) in water-crop media were investigated by performing greenhouse pot experiments with maize seedlings (Zea mays L.). The results demonstrated that L-TRH effectively dissipated E2 in the rhizosphere solution and achieved the kinetic constants of E2 dissipation at 10 and 50 μM by 8.05 and 2.75 times as much as the treatments without laccase addition, respectively. The copolymerization of E2 and root exudates (i.e. phenols and amino acids) consolidated by L-TRH produced a larger amount of humified precipitates with the richly functional carbon architectures. The growth parameters and photosynthetic pigment levels of maize seedlings were greatly impeded after a 120-h exposure to 50 μM E2, but L-TRH motivated the detoxication process and thus mitigated the phytotoxicity and bioavailability of E2. The tested E2 contents in the maize tissues initially increased sharply with the cultivation time but decreased steadily. Compared with the treatment without laccase addition, the uptake and accumulation of E2 in the maize tissues were obviously diminished by L-TRH. E2 oligomers such as dimer, trimer, and tetramer recognized in the rhizosphere solution were also detected in the root tissues but not in the shoots, demonstrating that the acropetal translocation of E2 oligomers was interrupted. These results highlight a promising strategy for decontaminating estrogenic pollutants, boosting rhizospheric humification, and realizing low-carbon emissions, which would be beneficial for agroenvironmental bioremediation and sustainability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai Sun
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Ling-Zhi Dai
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Mei-Hua Chen
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - You-Bin Si
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Guo-Dong Fang
- Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Shun-Yao Li
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Han-Qing Yu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Qi X, Niu Z, Xiao S, Waigi MG, Lin H, Sun K. Novel insights into the mechanism of laccase-driven rhizosphere humification for alleviating wheat 17β-estradiol contamination. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2024; 185:108576. [PMID: 38490070 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2024.108576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Global-scale crop contamination with environmental estrogens has posed a huge risk to agri-food safety and human health. Laccase is regarded as an unexceptionable biocatalyst for regulating pollution and expediting humification, but the knowledge of estrogen bioremediation and C storage strengthened by laccase-driven rhizosphere humification (LDRH) remains largely unknown. Herein, a greenhouse microcosm was performed to explore the migration and fate of 17β-estradiol (E2) in water-wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) matrices by LDRH. Compared to the non-added laccase, the pseudo-first-order decay rate constants of E2 in the rhizosphere solution after 10 and 50 μM exposures by LDRH increased from 0.03 and 0.02 h-1 to 0.36 and 0.09 h-1, respectively. Furthermore, LDRH conferred higher yield, polymerizability, O-containing groups, and functional-C signals in the humified precipitates, because it accelerated the formation of highly complex precipitates by radical-controlled continuous polymerization. In particular, not only did LDRH mitigate the phytotoxicity of E2, but it also diminished the metabolic load of E2 in wheat tissues. This was attributed to the rapid attenuation of E2 in the rhizosphere solution during LDRH, which limited E2 uptake and accumulation in each subcellular fraction of the wheat roots and shoots. Although several typical intermediate products such as estrone, estriol, and E2 oligomers were detected in roots, only small-molecule species were found in shoots, evidencing that the polymeric products of E2 were unable to be translocated acropetally due to the vast hydrophobicity and biounavailability. For the first time, our study highlights a novel, eco-friendly, and sustainable candidate for increasing the low-C treatment of organics in rhizosphere microenvironments and alleviating the potential risks of estrogenic contaminants in agroenvironments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuemin Qi
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Ziyan Niu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Shenghua Xiao
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Michael Gatheru Waigi
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
| | - Hui Lin
- Research Center for Eco-Environmental Engineering, Dongguan University of Technology, Dongguan 523808, China
| | - Kai Sun
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Zhu Y, Cao Y, Fu B, Wang C, Shu S, Zhu P, Wang D, Xu H, Zhong N, Cai D. Waste milk humification product can be used as a slow release nano-fertilizer. Nat Commun 2024; 15:128. [PMID: 38167856 PMCID: PMC10761720 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-44422-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The demand for milk has increased globally, accompanied by an increase in waste milk. Here, we provide an artificial humification technology to recycle waste milk into an agricultural nano-fertilizer. We use KOH-activated persulfate to convert waste milk into fulvic-like acid and humic-like acid. We mix the product with attapulgite to obtain a slow-release nano fulvic-like acid fertilizer. We apply this nano-fertilizer to chickweeds growing in pots, resulting in improved yield and root elongation. These results indicate that waste milk could be recycled for agricultural purposes, however, this nano-fertilizer needs to be tested further in field experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Zhu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxuan Cao
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China
| | - Bingbing Fu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China
| | - Chengjin Wang
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 5V6, Canada
| | - Shihu Shu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China
| | - Pengjin Zhu
- Guangxi Subtropical Crops Research Institute, Nanning, 530000, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongfang Wang
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China
| | - He Xu
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China
| | - Naiqin Zhong
- Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Dongqing Cai
- College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Donghua University, Shanghai, 201620, People's Republic of China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Li S, Hong D, Sun K. Lignin precursors enhance exolaccase-started humification of bisphenol A to form functional polymers. ECO-ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH (ONLINE) 2023; 2:219-226. [PMID: 38435360 PMCID: PMC10902508 DOI: 10.1016/j.eehl.2023.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Humification plays a significant role in converting phenolic pollutants and forming heterogeneous polymers, but few studies have been performed to investigate exolaccase-started humification (ESH). Herein, the influences of lignin precursors (LPs) on exolaccase-induced bisphenol A (BPA) removal and humification were explored. In particular, the architectural features and botanical effects of the formed humification products were also tested. ESH was extremely beneficial in boosting BPA removal in the presence of LPs. Compared with LP-free (58.49%), 100% of BPA was eliminated after the reaction with ESH for 72 h. Such a process was controlled by an exolaccase-caused random assembly of radicals, which generated a large number of hydrophobic polymers through nonspecific covalent binding of C-C and/or C-O. These humified polymers were extremely stable at pH 2.0-10.0 and -20 °C to 80 °C and displayed unique functions, i.e., scavenged 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl/2,2'-azino-bis3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid radicals and exerted antioxidant capacities. More importantly, the functional polymers could act as auxin analogs to increase the germination index (>100%), plant biomass, and salt tolerance of radish seedlings. Our findings disclosed that ESH could not only be optimized to mitigate the ecological risks of phenolic pollutants and sequester organic carbon in environmental bioremediation, but the resulting abundant auxin analogs also contributed to agricultural productivity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shunyao Li
- Laboratory of Wetland Protection and Ecological Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Dan Hong
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
| | - Kai Sun
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Li S, Sheng Y, Xiao S, Liu Q, Sun K. Exolaccase Propels Humification to Decontaminate Bisphenol A and Create Humic-like Biostimulants. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023. [PMID: 37470251 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.3c02958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Exolaccase-propelled humification (E-PH) helps eliminate phenolic pollutants and produce macromolecular precipitates. Herein, we investigated the influencing mechanism of 12 humic precursors (HPs) on exolaccase-enabled bisphenol A (BPA) decontamination and humification. Catechol, vanillic acid, caffeic acid, and gentian acid not only expedited BPA removal but also created large amounts of copolymeric precipitates. These precipitates had rich functional groups similar to natural humic substances, which presented great aromatic and acidic characteristics. The releasing amounts of BPA monomer from four precipitates were 0.08-12.87% at pH 2.0-11.0, suggesting that BPA-HP copolymers had pH stability. More excitingly, certain copolymeric precipitates could stimulate the growth and development of radish seedlings. The radish growth-promotion mechanisms of copolymers were involved in two aspects: (1) Copolymers interacted with root exudates to accelerate nutrient uptake; (2) Copolymers released auxins to provoke radish growth. These results may provide an innovative strategy for decontaminating phenolic pollutants and yielding humic-like biostimulants in E-PH.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shunyao Li
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, Anhui, China
| | - Yuehui Sheng
- Suzhou Zhongsheng Environmental Remediation Co., Ltd., Suzhou 215104, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shenghua Xiao
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Qingzhu Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Kai Sun
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, Anhui, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, Anhui, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Xu W, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Xu X, Wang Q. One stone, two birds: A Cu-S cluster as a laccase-mimicking nanozyme and sulfite activator for phenol remediation in marine environments. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 457:131776. [PMID: 37285787 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.131776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Phenols are infamous pollutants in marine environments and present a grave danger to human health, which makes their efficient detection and removal serious issues. Colorimetry is a simple method for detecting phenols in water because phenols can be oxidized by natural laccase and generate a brown product. However, high cost and poor stability impede the wide-spread implementation of natural laccase in phenol detection. To reverse this adverse situation, a nanoscale Cu-S cluster, Cu4(MPPM)4 (Cu4S4, MPPM = 2-mercapto-5-n-propylpyrimidine), is synthesized. As a stable and inexpensive nanozyme, Cu4S4 shows excellent laccase-mimicking activity and prompts the oxidation of phenols. This characteristic makes Cu4S4 a perfect option for phenol detection with colorimetry. In addition, Cu4S4 also exhibits sulfite activation properties. It can degrade phenols and other pollutants with advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Theoretical calculations show good laccase-mimicking and sulfite activation properties originating from appropriate interactions between Cu4S4 and substrates. We anticipate that the phenol detection and degradation characteristics of Cu4S4 make it a promising material to be used for practical phenol remediation in water environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 Liaoning, China
| | - Yifei Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 Liaoning, China
| | - Xia Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 Liaoning, China
| | - Xinxin Xu
- Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 Liaoning, China.
| | - Qiang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Electromagnetic Processing of Materials, MOE, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819 Liaoning, China.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Liu J, Sun K, Zhu R, Wang X, Waigi MG, Li S. Biotransformation of bisphenol A in vivo and in vitro by laccase-producing Trametes hirsuta La-7: Kinetics, products, and mechanisms. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 321:121155. [PMID: 36709035 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a ubiquitous endocrine disruptor that poses adverse human health risks. Herein, biotransformation kinetics, products, and mechanisms of BPA undergoing a laccase-producing Trametes hirsuta La-7 metabolism were for the first time reported. Strain La-7 could completely biotransform ≤0.5 mmol·L-1 BPA within 6 d in vivo. Notably, its extracellular crude laccase solution (ECLS) and intracellular homogenized mycelium (HM) only required 6 h to convert 85.71% and 84.24% of 0.5 mmol·L-1 BPA in vitro, respectively. The removal of BPA was noticeably hampered by adding a cytochrome P-450 inhibitor (piperonyl butoxide) in HM, disclosing that cytochrome P-450 monooxygenase participated in BPA oxidation and metabolism. BPA intermediates were elaborately identified by high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) combined with 13C stable isotope ratios (BPA: 13C12-BPA = 0.25: 0.25, molar concentration). Based on the accurate molecular mass, isotope labeling difference, and relative intensity ratio of product peaks, 6 versatile metabolic mechanisms of BPA, including polymerization, hydroxylation, dehydration, bond cleavage, dehydrogenation, and carboxylation in vivo and in vitro, were confirmed. Germination index values revealed that inoculating strain La-7 in a BPA-contaminated medium presented no phytotoxicity to the germinated radish (Raphanus sativus L.) seeds. In vivo, Mg2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, and Mn2+ were conducive to BPA removal, but Cd2+ and Hg2+ significantly obstructed BPA elimination. Additionally, strain La-7 also exhibited high-efficiency metabolic ability toward estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), with more than 96.13%, 96.65%, and 100% of E1, E2, and EE2 having been converted, respectively. Our findings provide an environmentally powerful laccase-producing fungus to decontaminate endocrine disruptor-contaminated water matrices by radical polymerization and oxidative decomposition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Kai Sun
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China; CAS Key Laboratory of Urban Pollutant Conversion, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, Anhui, China.
| | - Rui Zhu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Xun Wang
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Farmland Ecological Conservation and Pollution Prevention, College of Resources and Environment, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, China
| | - Michael Gatheru Waigi
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shunyao Li
- Laboratory of Wetland Protection and Ecological Restoration, Anhui University, Hefei, 230601, Anhui, China
| |
Collapse
|