AI Article Synopsis
- 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) is a notable impurity in TNT production that may serve as a tracer for TNT-based landmines due to its stability and volatility.
- A bioreporter has been developed to detect DNT vapors, but the specific metabolite that triggers the detection and its regulatory mechanisms remain unclear.
- This study identifies the YhaJ protein as a transcriptional regulator for DNT detection and implicates it in the degradation of quinol-like compounds and DNT itself, suggesting a common regulatory sequence called the YhaJ-box in the genes it influences.
Article Abstract
The aromatic compound 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT), a common impurity in 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) production, has been suggested as a tracer for the presence of TNT-based landmines due to its stability and high volatility. We have previously described an bioreporter capable of detecting the presence of DNT vapors, harboring a fusion of the gene promoter to a reporter element. However, the DNT metabolite which is the direct inducer of , has not yet been identified, nor has the regulatory mechanism of the induction been clarified. We demonstrate here that the YhaJ protein, a member of the LysR type family, acts as a transcriptional regulator of activation, as well as of a panel of additional genes. This group of genes share a common sequence motif in their promoters, which is suggested here as a putative YhaJ-box. In addition, we have linked YhaJ to the regulation of quinol-like compound degradation in the cell, and identified as playing a role in the degradation of DNT.
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| http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5031710 | PMC |
| http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2016.01490 | DOI Listing |
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