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Chromate Removal by Enterobacter cloacae Strain UT25 from Tannery Effluent and Its Potential Role in Cr (VI) Remediation

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Abstract

An indigenous chromate-resistant bacterial strain isolated from tannery effluent was identified based on morphological, biochemical, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, as Enterobacter cloacae UT25. It was found to resist heavy metal ions such as Cr (VI), Pb (II), Cu (II), Co (II), Ni (II), Hg (II), and Zn (II) and antibiotics. The strain was able to remove 89 and 86% chromate, after 24 h of incubation in a Luria–Bertani (LB) medium at an initial Cr (VI) concentration of 1000 and 1500 µg/ml, respectively. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was observed for chromate to be 80,000 and 1850 µg/ml, after 48 h of incubation in LB and acetate minimal media (AMM), respectively. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) analysis showed discrete cells with intact and smooth cell walls and homogenous cytoplasm in the absence of metal stress, whereas chromate stress caused cell lysis and reduction in size, which was a characteristic response to Cr (VI) toxicity. Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX) confirmed the adsorption of oxyanions to the cell wall which was one of the Cr (VI) removal mechanisms by the bacterium. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) micrographs of chromate-untreated and treated cells revealed Root Mean Square roughness (Rq) values of 16.25 and 11.26 nm, respectively, indicating less roughness in the presence of stress. The partial gene sequence of class 1 integrons (intI1) of strain UT25 showed 94% homology with intI1 gene of strain Enterobacter hormaechei strain ECC59 plasmid pECC59-1. The present analysis highlighted the potential of E. cloacae UT25 as a promissory bacterium that could be applied in removing chromate from polluted environments.

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Acknowledgements

We appreciate University of the Punjab for supporting the present study. This research work is part of the Ph.D. Thesis of the first author Ms. Asma Kalsoom.

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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or nonprofit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of the Punjab, Quaid-e-Azam Campus, Lahore, 54590, Pakistan

    Asma Kalsoom, Nazia Jamil & Rida Batool

  2. Pakistan Institute of Engineering and Applied Sciences (PIEAS), Islamabad, Pakistan

    Syed Mujtaba ul Hassan & Junaid Ahmed Khan

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  1. Asma Kalsoom
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  2. Nazia Jamil
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  4. Junaid Ahmed Khan
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Contributions

AK: data curation, formal analysis, investigation, methodology, software, visualization, and writing—original draft; RB & NJ: conceptualization, data curation, formal analysis, methodology, project administration, resources, software, supervision, validation, visualization, and writing—review & editing; SMH and JAK: performed and interpretation of AFM data. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Rida Batool.

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Kalsoom, A., Jamil, N., Hassan, S.M.u. et al. Chromate Removal by Enterobacter cloacae Strain UT25 from Tannery Effluent and Its Potential Role in Cr (VI) Remediation. Curr Microbiol 80, 99 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-023-03194-3

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