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Arsenic bioremediation potential of a new arsenite-oxidizing bacterium Stenotrophomonas sp. MM-7 isolated from soil

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Abstract

A new arsenite-oxidizing bacterium was isolated from a low arsenic-containing (8.8 mg kg−1) soil. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing indicated that the strain was closely related to Stenotrophomonas panacihumi. Batch experiment results showed that the strain completely oxidized 500 μM of arsenite to arsenate within 12 h of incubation in a minimal salts medium. The optimum initial pH range for arsenite oxidation was 5–7. The strain was found to tolerate as high as 60 mM arsenite in culture media. The arsenite oxidase gene was amplified by PCR with degenerate primers. The deduced amino acid sequence showed the highest identity (69.1 %) with the molybdenum containing large subunit of arsenite oxidase derived from Bosea sp. Furthermore the amino acids involved in binding the substrate arsenite, were conserved with the arsenite oxidases of other arsenite oxidizing bacteria such as Alcaligenes feacalis and Herminnimonas arsenicoxydans. To our knowledge, this study constitutes the first report on arsenite oxidation using Stenotrophomonas sp. and the strain has great potential for application in arsenic remediation of contaminated water.

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Acknowledgments

This study was conducted while the first author was receiving the International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (IPRS) supported by the Australian Government in collaboration with the Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation, University of South Australia. The authors would like to thank Dr. Mohammad Rahman for technical assistance with the ICP analysis and Dr. Kannan Krishnan for his assistance with the molecular study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Environmental Risk Assessment and Remediation (CERAR), University of South Australia, Building X, Room X2-03, Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia

    Md. Mezbaul Bahar, Mallavarapu Megharaj & Ravi Naidu

  2. Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of Environment (CRC CARE), Mawson Lakes Boulevard, Mawson Lakes, SA, 5095, Australia

    Md. Mezbaul Bahar, Mallavarapu Megharaj & Ravi Naidu

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  1. Md. Mezbaul Bahar
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  2. Mallavarapu Megharaj
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  3. Ravi Naidu
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Correspondence to Md. Mezbaul Bahar.

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Bahar, M.M., Megharaj, M. & Naidu, R. Arsenic bioremediation potential of a new arsenite-oxidizing bacterium Stenotrophomonas sp. MM-7 isolated from soil. Biodegradation 23, 803–812 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-012-9567-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10532-012-9567-4

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