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Delftia sp. JD2: a potential Cr(VI)-reducing agent with plant growth-promoting activity

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Abstract

A chromium (Cr)-resistant bacterium isolated from soil containing 6,000 mg/kg of Cr was identified based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as Delftia, and designated as JD2. Growth of JD2 was accompanied with reduction of Cr(VI) to Cr(III) in liquid medium initially containing 100 mg/L Cr(VI), the maximum concentration allowing growth. JD2 showed NADH/NADPH-dependent reductase activity associated with the soluble fraction of cells. The results suggest that JD2 might be a good candidate for the treatment of highly Cr(VI)-contaminated water and/or industrial effluents. The isolate produced indole-3-acetic acid in the presence and absence of Cr(VI) and showed free-living nitrogen-fixing activity possibly attributable to a V-nitrogenase. JD2 did not counteract the harmful effect of Cr(VI) during leguminous plant growth and nodulation by rhizobial strains but functioned as a “helper” bacterium to enhance the performance of rhizobial inoculant strains during inoculation of alfalfa and clover (used as model plants to study plant growth-promoting activity) in the absence of Cr(VI).

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr B. C. Okeke and Prof. W. T. Frankenberger for providing the Bacillus sp. ES29 strain, PEDECIBA-Uruguay (Programa de Desarrollo de las Ciencias Básicas) for partial financial support and Ecotech Laboratory for performing the atomic absorption analysis. Gas chromatography analysis was performed in the Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant Biology, Faculty of Agronomy, University of the Republic, Uruguay. Dr Valerie Dee revised linguistic aspects of the manuscript. The work of M. Morel was supported by ANII (Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unidad de Microbiología Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable (IIBCE), Avda Italia 3318, 11600, Montevideo, PC, Uruguay

    María A. Morel, Martha C. Ubalde, Victoria Braña & Susana Castro-Sowinski

  2. Sección Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Iguá 4225, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Susana Castro-Sowinski

Authors
  1. María A. Morel
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  2. Martha C. Ubalde
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  3. Victoria Braña
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  4. Susana Castro-Sowinski
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Correspondence to Susana Castro-Sowinski.

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Communicated by Erko Stackebrandt.

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Morel, M.A., Ubalde, M.C., Braña, V. et al. Delftia sp. JD2: a potential Cr(VI)-reducing agent with plant growth-promoting activity. Arch Microbiol 193, 63–68 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-010-0632-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-010-0632-2

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