This article is available from: http://www.microbialcellfactories.com/content/3/1/10
Industrial development may result in the increase of environmental risks. The enzymatic
transformation of polluting compounds to less toxic or even innocuous products is an alternative
to their complete removal. In this regard, a number of different redox enzymes are able to
transform a wide variety of toxic pollutants, such as polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, phenols,
azo dyes, heavy metals, etc. Here, novel information on chromate reductases, enzymes that carry
out the reduction of highly toxic Cr(VI) to the less toxic insoluble Cr(III), is discussed. In addition,
the properties and application of bacterial and eukaryotic proteins (lignin-modifying enzymes,
peroxidases and cytochromes) useful in environmental enzymology is also discussed.
Peer reviewed