Abstract
A mixed microbial culture capable of metabolizing the explosive pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN) was obtained from soil enrichments under aerobic and nitrogen-limiting conditions. A strain of Enterobacter cloacae, designated PB2, was isolated from this culture and was found to use PETN as a sole source of nitrogen for growth, Growth yields suggested that 2 to 3 mol of nitrogen was utilized per mol of PETN, The metabolites pentaerythritol dinitrate, 3-hydroxy-2,2-bis-[(nitrooxy)methyl] propanal, and 2,2-bis-[(nitrooxy)methyl] -propanedial were identified by mass spectrometry and H-1-nuclear magnetic resonance. An NADPH-dependent PETN reductase was isolated from cell extracts and shown to liberate nitrite from PETN, producing pentaerythritol tri- and dinitrates which were identified by mass spectrometry. PETN reductase was purified to apparent homogeneity by ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme was found to be a monomeric flavoprotein with a M(r) of approximately 40,000, binding flavin mononucleotide noncovalently.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1214-1219 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Applied and Environmental Microbiology |
Volume | 62 |
Issue number | 4 |
Publication status | Published - Apr 1996 |