PROPOSAL:	QLK3-1999-00041	ACRONYM	HERBICBIOREM
AREA:	FP5 - QoL, 5/ 3:The Cell Factory - 3.2 - High value-added products and processes involving / derived from micro-organisms, plants and animals	Call number / date:	1a
PROJECT TYPE:	Shared Cost	EU CONTRIBUTION:	1,570,000
STARTING DATE:	01/01/00	DURATION:	36 months

Coordinator: Dr. P. Fritz, Umweltforschungs Zentrum, Leipzig-Halle GmbH, Permoserstrasse 15, DE -4318, Leipzig, Germany, Email: ? uikt@rzstud1.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de

Project Description:
The project is focussed on the biodegradation of persistent herbicides belonging to the groups of triazines, amides and chlorophenoxyalkanes under stress conditions, which are present in every polluted site. Both the physiology of adaptive responses and the regulation of catabolic genes under different stress conditions will be investigated. For herbicides with a low solubility, attempts to increase their bioavailability will be made by promoting biosurfactant activity of microbial consortia. Additionally, the project will focus on toxicological investigations of herbicides and their metabolites using amphibian and insect cell tissues, and toxicity assessments developed for Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an eukaryotic model organism. The project will develop techniques which will allow an increased use of biological methods to remediate sites contaminated with herbicides and other xenobiotics. Objectives This proposal will focus mainly to the investigation of the biodegradation of different herbicides under circumstances related to environmental stress conditions regularly present in soil systems. The main attempts will be: to investigate the degradation kinetics and adaptive responses of herbicide-degrading bacteria under environmental stress conditions in soil systems. to study the effect of increased bioavailability, caused by (bio)surfactants, on the biodegradation of triazines and other pesticides. to examine the regulation and possible corregulation of catabolic genes for different herbicides, and detoxifying enzymes, like Glutathione S-Transferases (GSTs). to assess the toxicological impacts of the herbicides and their possible intermediates using tissues from amphibians and insects, and yeast. Description of the work Herbicides. As herbicides will be tested: triazines (atrazine, simazine, metribuzin); amides (alachlor, metolachlor); and chlorophenoxy compounds (2,4-D, 2,4,5-T, MCPA). Physiological and technical investigations. 1) Measurement of the sorption kinetics and microbial degradation of the herbicides in soil subjected to different forms of stress. Study of the retention, degradation and downward movement of the herbicides in equilibrated soil column microcosms. 2) Examine the effects of different types of stress on the degradation kinetics of herbicides and the physiology of adaptive responses. 3) Study the effects of different environmental stresses on the degradation of herbicides in an off site pilot plant for soil bioremediation provided and engineered by an industrial partner. 4) Studies on the effects biosurfactants causing increased bioavailability on degradation kinetics and the bacterial adaptation. Molecular biological investigations. 1) Determination of the effect of heat shock and other stress on expression of catabolic promoters of herbicide-degrading bacteria. Study the interplay between different sigma factors under such conditions. 2) The effect of herbicide concentration and additional carbon or nitrogen sources on expression of both structural and regulatory genes will be tested using fusions of degradative genes to reporter genes. 3) The regulation and function of Glutathione S-Transferases (GST) in biodegradation and detoxification of herbicides. Toxicological investigations. Assessment of the toxicity of herbicides and their possible intermediates of biodegradation using 1) an insect cholinergic system for the synaptic depression caused by the compounds. 2) the peripheral nervous system of amphibians. 3) their effects on several adaptive responses present in the plasma membrane of S. cerevisiae. Deliverables Development of techniques allowing a better engineering of different bioremediation processes for herbicide contamination and for other xenobiotic pollutions. Techniques to monitor the expression of catabolic genes in herbicide-degrading bacteria under environmental stress conditions. Replacement of the use of mammalians and other higher vertebrates for toxicological assessment of herbicides and degradation intermediates using amphibian and insect cell tissues and S. cerevisiae. Design of expression systems which optimise gene expression under environmental conditions.

Project URL: http://www.ufz.de/spb/san/herbicbiorem/herbicbiorem.html

Consortium:
Co-ordinator: Contact Person: FRITZ, Peter Organisation Type: Non Commercial Organisation: UMWELTFORSCHUNGSZENTRUM LEIPZIG-HALLE GMBH Permoserstrasse 15 4318 LEIPZIG GERMANY Participants Contact Person: GUIBA-TZIAMPIRI, Olympia Organisation: ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY OF THESSALONIKI University Campus, , Egnatia Str., Administration Building 54006 THESSALONIKI GREECE Contact Person: VEGA PIQUERES, José Maria Organisation: UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA San Fernando 4 41004 SEVILLA SPAIN Contact Person: DE GAETANO, Giovanni Organisation: CONSORZIO MARIO NEGRI SUD Via Nazionale 1 66030 ARIELLI ITALY Contact Person: DURÃO, Diamantino Organisation: INSTITUTO SUPERIOR TÉCNICO Avenida Rovisco Pais 1 1049-001 LISBOA PORTUGAL Contact Person: MESCH, Johann Organisation: BAUER UND MOURIK UMWELTTECHNIK GMBH & CO In der Scherau, 1 86529 SCHROBENHAUSEN GERMANY Contact Person: FORSYTH, Jacqui Organisation Type: Education Department: DEPARTMENT OF BIOSCIENCES Organisation: UNIVERSITY OF KENT AT CANTERBURY CT2 7NZ FOLKESTONE UNITED KINGDOM Contact Person: NOMBELA CANO, César Department: CENTRO NACIONAL DE BIOTECNOLOGÍA Organisation: CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTÍFICAS 115 BIS Cantoblanco UAM Campus de la Universidad Autonoma 28049 MADRID SPAIN

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