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Extremely ‘vanadiphilic’ multiply metal-resistant and halophilic aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs, strains EG13 and EG8, from hypersaline springs in Canada

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Abstract

Two pinkish peach-colored strains of obligately aerobic phototrophic bacteria, EG13 and EG8, were isolated from a saline spring effluent stream in west central Manitoba, Canada. The strains possessed bacteriochlorophyll a incorporated into a typical purple bacterial light-harvesting complex 1 (870 nm) and reaction center (801 nm). Analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated 100 % identity among the isolates and 99 % similarity to Roseovarius tolerans EL-172T. The strains were physiologically well adapted to high salinity (0–22 %), fluctuating pH (7–12) and temperature (7–40 °C) of the exposed hypersaline stream of East German Creek. EG8 and EG13 were also highly resistant to the toxic metal(loid) oxyanions tellurite, selenite and metavanadate (≥1000 μg/ml each). Most intriguingly, growth and pigment production of EG13 on glutamate minimal medium was stimulated by 1000–10000 μg/ml of sodium metavanadate compared to metal-free conditions. Phylogenetic analysis and phenotypic properties such as pigment composition and morphology indicate close relatedness to Roseovarius genus.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by grants from the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Canada to V.Y.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, 418 Buller Building, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada

    J. T. Csotonyi, C. Maltman & V. Yurkov

  2. DSMZ-Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH, Inhoffenstrasse 7B, 38124, Brunswick, Germany

    J. Swiderski & E. Stackebrandt

Authors
  1. J. T. Csotonyi
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  2. C. Maltman
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  3. J. Swiderski
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  4. E. Stackebrandt
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  5. V. Yurkov
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to V. Yurkov.

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Communicated by A. Driessen.

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Csotonyi, J.T., Maltman, C., Swiderski, J. et al. Extremely ‘vanadiphilic’ multiply metal-resistant and halophilic aerobic anoxygenic phototrophs, strains EG13 and EG8, from hypersaline springs in Canada. Extremophiles 19, 127–134 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-014-0693-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-014-0693-2

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