Studies on mechanism for microbial degradation of a nitrogen-containing environmentally hazardous compound

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21858
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 64:Environmental conservation measure and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: HASHIMOTO Yoshiteru 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 准教授 (00323254)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 微生物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The N3 compounds composed of three nitrogen atoms joined together by double bound, are known to be extremely toxic and explosive. However, the metabolic pathway of N3 compounds has been unknown. We have isolated a microorganism that degrades an N3 compound from soil and discovered a novel enzyme involved in the N3 compound drgradation.
Also, we constructed an overexpression system for the enzyme and established a method for the preparation of a large amount of the purified enzyme. Some properties of this enzyme, including the identification of the active amino acid residues that contribute significantly to the catalytic mechanism, were determined.

Free Research Field

微生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的には、これ迄に報告例のないアジ化物分の分解に関わるアジ化物変換酵素について分解メカニズムを世界で初めて詳細に解析することに成功した。
著しいアジ化物変換能力をもつ新たな微生物の育種に成功したことで、将来的には、爆発処理などによらない環境に優しい方法で、環境負荷物質であるアジ化物を安全に分解し無毒化する新規廃棄物処理技術の開発が期待される。