Abstract
The Anones Lagoon in Vieques, Puerto Rico, has been impacted by the presence of xenobiotic contaminants, whose concentrations exceed established limits by the EPA, with one of concern being a recalcitrant explosive compound, 1,3,5-Trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX). Our goal is to design R-DetoX, a two-component genetic circuit for the detection and biodegradation of RDX. An RDX-inducible sensor element is transcriptionally coupled with the quorum-sensing (QS) signal biosynthesis and transcriptional regulator genes, luxI and luxR, respectively. The second component is induced by acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL)mediated QS, activating PluxR,, which initiates the transcription of the xplA/B system. As a result, denitrification and ring-cleavage of RDX occurs, reducing the compound’s recalcitrance. A fluorescent reporter follows the catabolic component, allowing for quantification of biodegradation gene expression through fluorometry. The biodetection/biodegradation of RDX by R-DetoX will allow recovery of the biodiversity and provide new tools for environmental monitoring and remediation.