2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid detection using 2,4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid α-ketoglutarate dioxygenase

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/es00006a028

2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) is possibly the most widely used herbicide. Although not very toxic, cleanup of an inadvertant spill is still necessary. This phenoxy herbicide is degraded by several micro-organisms and bioremediation processes have been proposed. Analytical support for these cleanup techniques usually involves gas chromatography or immunoassays, which are moderately (ELISA assays) to very (GC/MS) expensive. Therefore, it is important to develop a quick, inexpensive, and easy-to-use 2,4-D detection method for use in the field by nonspecialists. Reported here is the construction of a detection plasmid, its introduction into Escherichia coli DH5α, and the application of cell-free extracts of this organism to highly specific 2,4-D detection. -from Authors