Biotransformation of metamitron by human p450 expressed in transgenic tobacco cell cultures

Molecular mechanisms in phytoremediation of environmental contaminants and prospects of engineered transgenic plants/microbes

Concerns about emerging environmental contaminants have been growing along with industrialization and urbanization around the globe. Among various options for remediating these contaminants, phytotechnology is suggested as a feasible option to maintain the environmental sustainability. The recent advances in phytoremediation, genetic/molecular/omics/metabolic engineering, and nanotechnology are opening new paths for efficient treatment of emerging organic/inorganic contaminants. In this respect, elucidation of molecular mechanisms and genetic engineering of hyperaccumulator plants is expected to enhance remediation of environmental contaminants. This review was organized to offer valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms of phytoremediation and the prospects of transgenic hyperaccumulators with enhanced stress tolerance to diverse contaminants such as heavy metals and metalloids, xenobiotics, explosives, poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), petroleum hydrocarbons, pesticides, and nanoparticles. The roles of genoremediation and nanoparticles in augmenting the phytoremediation technology are also described in an interrelated framework with biotechnological prospects (e.g., plant molecular nano-farming). Finally, political debate on the preferential use of crops versus non-crop hyperaccumulators in genoremediation, limitations of transgenics in phytotechnologies, and their public acceptance issues are discussed in the policy framework.

Engineering the metabolism of the phenylurea herbicide chlortoluron in genetically modified Arabidopsis thaliana plants expressing the mammalian cytochrome P450 enzyme CYP1A2

Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plants were generated by introduction of the human P450 CYP1A2 gene, which metabolizes a number of herbicides, insecticides and industrial chemicals. Transgenic A. thaliana plants expressing CYP1A2 gene showed remarkable resistance to the phenylurea herbicide chlortoluron (CTU) supplemented either in plant growth medium or sprayed on foliar parts of the plants. HPLC analyses showed a strong reduction in CTU accumulation in planta supporting the tolerance of transgenic lines to high concentrations of CTU. Besides increased herbicide tolerance, expression of CYP1A2 resulted in no other visible phenotype in transgenic plants. Our data indicate that CYP1A2 can be used as a selectable marker for plant transformation, allowing efficient selection of transgenic lines in growth medium and/or in soil-grown plants. Moreover, these transgenic plants appear to be useful for herbicide resistance as well as phytoremediation of environmental contaminants.

Absorption, translocation and metabolism of metamitron in Chenopodium album

BACKGROUND

In recent years, common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album L.) populations from sugar beet fields in different European countries have responded as resistant to the as-triazinone metamitron. The populations have been found to have the same D1 point mutation as known for atrazine-resistant biotypes (Ser264 to Gly). However, pot experiments revealed that metamitron resistance is not as clear-cut as observed with triazine resistance in the past. The objectives of this study were to clarify the absorption, translocation and metabolic fate of metamitron in C. album.

RESULTS

Root absorption and foliar absorption experiments showed minor differences in absorption, translocation and metabolism of metamitron between the susceptible and resistant C. album populations. A rapid metabolism in the C. album populations was observed when metamitron was absorbed by the roots. The primary products of metamitron metabolism were identified as deamino-metamitron and metamitron-N-glucoside. PABA, known to inhibit the deamination of metribuzin, did not alter the metabolism of metamitron, and nor did the cytochrome P450 inhibitor PBO. However, inhibition of metamitron metabolism in the presence of the cytochrome P450 inhibitor ABT was demonstrated.

CONCLUSION

Metamitron metabolism in C. album may act as a basic tolerance mechanism, which can be important in circumstances favouring this degradation pathway.

Metabolism of methoxychlor by the P450-monooxygenase CYP6G1 involved in insecticide resistance of Drosophila melanogaster after expression in cell cultures of Nicotiana tabacum

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenase CYP6G1 of Drosophila melanogaster was heterologously expressed in a cell suspension culture of Nicotiana tabacum. This in vitro system was used to study the capability of CYP6G1 to metabolize the insecticide methoxychlor (=1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(4-methoxyphenyl)ethane, 1) against the background of endogenous enzymes of the corresponding non-transgenic culture. The Cyp6g1-transgenic cell culture metabolized 96% of applied methoxychlor (45.8 microg per assay) within 24 h by demethylation and hydroxylation mainly to trishydroxy and catechol methoxychlor (16 and 17%, resp.). About 34% of the metabolism and the distinct formation of trishydroxy and catechol methoxychlor were due to foreign enzyme CYP6G1. Furthermore, methoxychlor metabolism was inhibited by 43% after simultaneous addition of piperonyl butoxide (458 microg), whereas inhibition in the non-transgenic culture amounted to 92%. Additionally, the rate of glycosylation was reduced in both cultures. These results were supported by the inhibition of the metabolism of the insecticide imidacloprid (6; 20 microg, 24 h) in the Cyp6g1-transgenic culture by 82% in the presence of piperonyl butoxide (200 microg). Due to CYP6G1 being responsible for imidacloprid resistance of Drosophila or being involved in DDT resistance, it is likely that CYP6G1 conveys resistance to methoxychlor (1). Furthermore, treating Drosophila with piperonyl butoxide could weaken the observed resistance phenomena.

Comparative metabolite profiling of the insecticide thiamethoxam in plant and cell suspension culture of tomato

The metabolism of thiamethoxam [(EZ)-3-(2-chloro-1,3-thiazol-5-yl-methyl)-5-methyl-1,3,5-oxadiazinan-4-ylidene (nitro) amine] was investigated in whole plant, callus, and heterotrophic cell suspension culture of aseptically and field grown tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) plants. The structure of the metabolites was elucidated by chromatographic (HPLC) and spectroscopic (IR, NMR, and MS) methods. Thiamethoxam metabolism proceeded by the formation of a urea derivative, a nitroso product, and nitro guanidine. Both urea and nitro guanidine metabolites further degraded in plants, and a mechanism has been proposed. In the plant, organ-specific differences in thiamethoxam metabolism were observed. Only one metabolite was formed in whole plant against four in callus and eight metabolites in cell suspension culture under aseptic conditions. Out of six metabolites of thiamethoxam in tomato fruits in field conditions, five were similar to those formed in the cell suspension culture. In the cell suspension culture, thiamethoxam degraded to maximum metabolites within 72 h, whereas in plants, such extensive conversion could only be observed after 10 days.

Metabolism of imidacloprid and DDT by P450 CYP6G1 expressed in cell cultures of Nicotiana tabacum suggests detoxification of these insecticides in Cyp6g1-overexpressing strains of Drosophila melanogaster, leading to resistance

BACKGROUND

With the worldwide use of insecticides, an increasing number of pest insect species have evolved target-site or metabolism-based resistance towards some of these compounds. The resulting decreased efficacy of pesticides threatens human welfare by its impact on crop safety and further disease transmission. Environmental concentrations of some insecticides are so high that even natural populations of non-target, non-pest organisms such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster Meig. have been selected for resistance. Cyp6g1-overexpressing strains of D. melanogaster are resistant to a wide range of chemically diverse insecticides, including DDT and imidacloprid. However, up to now there has been no evidence that the CYP6G1 enzyme metabolises any of these compounds.

RESULTS

Here it is shown, by heterologous expression in cell suspension cultures of Nicotiana tabacum L. (tobacco), that CYP6G1 is capable of converting DDT (20 microg per cell culture assay) by dechlorination to DDD (18% of applied amount in 48 h), and imidacloprid (400 microg) mainly by hydroxylation to 4-hydroxyimidacloprid and 5-hydroxyimidacloprid (58 and 19% respectively in 48 h).

CONCLUSION

Thus, the gap between the supposed resistance gene Cyp6g1 and the observed resistance phenomenon was closed by the evidence that CYP6G1 is capable of metabolising at least two insecticides.

Oxidative metabolic profiling of xenobiotics by human P450s expressed in tobacco cell suspension cultures

Elucidation of metabolic pathways of xenobiotics (pesticides, pharmaceuticals and industrial pollutants) in human, animals and plants and chemical identification of corresponding metabolites are required for comprehensive (eco-) toxicological evaluation of the compounds prior to their usage. The most important metabolic products are oxidized metabolites, and most of these are formed by catalytic activity of P450s (cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenases). In human, 11 P450 isoenzymes exhibiting broad and overlapping substrate specificities are responsible for approx. 90% of drug metabolism. As support for inevitable metabolism studies with intact organisms under relevant conditions, tobacco cell cultures were transformed separately with cDNA sequences of human P450 isoenzymes CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP3A4. The resulting P450-transgenic cell suspensions were used for metabolism studies with pesticides, industrial pollutants, a secondary plant metabolite and human sex hormones. A summary of basic results is provided; these are discussed regarding application of the method for screening of the oxidative metabolism of xenobiotics and the large-scale production of metabolites.

Comparison of the biotransformation of the 14C-labelled insecticide carbaryl by non-transformed and human CYP1A1-, CYP1A2-, and CYP3A4-transgenic cell cultures of Nicotiana tabacum

Transgenic tobacco-cell-suspension cultures expressing separately the human cytochrome P450 monooxygenases CYP1A1, CYP1A2, and CYP3A4 were utilized to study the biotransformation of the 14C-labelled insecticide carbaryl (=naphthalen-1-yl methylcarbamate). The resulting data were compared to similar data from the corresponding non-transformed (NT) tobacco-cell culture and commercially available membrane preparations (Bactosomes) of genetically modified bacteria separately containing the same human P450s. A rapid conversion rate of carbaryl was observed with the CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 cells, where only 49.7 and 0.2% of applied carbaryl (1 mg/l), respectively, remained after 24 h, as compared to 77.7% in the non-transformed culture. Unexpectedly, the corresponding results obtained from the CYP3A4 cultures were not definite. With 25 mg/l of carbaryl and 96 h of incubation, it was proven that the insecticide is also substrate of CYP3A4. This finding was supported by GC/EI-MS analysis of the primary metabolite pattern produced by the isozyme. This consisted of naphthalene-1-ol, N-(hydroxymethyl)carbaryl, 4-hydroxycarbaryl, and 5-hydroxycarbaryl, whereas the main product in non-transformed cells was N-(hydroxymethyl)carbaryl. Data obtained from the CYP1A1, CYP1A2, or CYP3A4 Bactosomes agreed with those of the P450-transgenic tobacco cells. Problems with GC/EI-MS analysis of carbaryl and its metabolites are discussed.