Johnston, Emily J., Rylott, Elizabeth L. orcid.org/0000-0002-1609-414X, Beynon, Emily et al. (3 more authors) (2015) Monodehydroascorbate reductase mediates TNT toxicity in plants. Science. pp. 1072-1075. ISSN 0036-8075
Abstract
The explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) is a highly toxic and persistent environmental pollutant. Due to the scale of affected areas, one of the most cost-effective and environmentally friendly means of removing explosives pollution could be the use of plants. However, mechanisms of TNT phytotoxicity have been elusive. Here, we reveal that phytotoxicity is caused by reduction of TNT in the mitochondria, forming a nitro radical that reacts with atmospheric oxygen, generating reactive superoxide. The reaction is catalyzed by monodehydroascorbate reductase 6 (MDHAR6), with Arabidopsis deficient in MDHAR6 displaying enhanced TNT tolerance. This discovery will contribute toward the remediation of contaminated sites. Moreover, in an environment of increasing herbicide resistance, with a shortage in new herbicide classes, our findings reveal MDHAR6 as a valuable plant-specific target.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2015. This is an author produced version of a paper published in Journal Name . Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Chemistry (York) The University of York The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Biology (York) The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Biology (York) > Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP) (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 17 Nov 2015 11:52 |
Last Modified: | 04 Mar 2025 00:04 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aab3472 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1126/science.aab3472 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:91961 |
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