Construction of initial degradation system of DDT using enzymes with modified substrate specificity

• Project/Area Number: 16K18685
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied biochemistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Okai Masahiko 東京海洋大学, 学術研究院, 助教 (00596562)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
• Keywords: 酸素添加酵素 / 結晶構造解析 / 環境浄化 / 構造解析 / 基質改変 / 酵素 / バイオテクノロジー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

DDT (dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane) is an organo-chlorine pesticide. There is a few report about DDT-degrading bacteria, but the degradation pathway is unknown. In this study, we established a screening method for obtaining modified dehydrochlorinase LinA which can degrade DDT and determined the crystal structure of DDE-degrading oxygenase EtbAa2-Ab2.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

POPs（persistent organic pollutants）の中でHCH（hexachlorocyclohexane）は完全な分解経路が解明されているが、DDT (dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane)の分解経路を明らかにした研究報告例はない。DDT分解経路を創出することは、環境浄化の産業応用に貢献するものである。さらに、他の菌のDDT分解に関わるアイソザイムも推定できることから、学術的な貢献にも寄与する。