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Molecular identification of arsenic-resistant estuarine bacteria and characterization of their ars genotype

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Abstract

In the present study, 44 arsenic-resistant bacteria were isolated through serial dilutions on agar plate with concentrations ≥0.05 mM of sodium arsenite and ≥10 mM of sodium arsenate from Mandovi and Zuari—estuarine water systems. The ars genotype characterization in 36 bacterial isolates (resistant to 100 mM of sodium arsenate) revealed that only 17 isolates harboured the arsA (ATPase), B (arsenite permease) and C (arsenate reductase) genes on the plasmid DNA. The arsA, B and C genes were individually detected using PCR in 16, 9 and 13 bacterial isolates respectively. Molecular identification of the 17 isolates bearing the ars genotype was carried using 16S rDNA sequencing. A 1300 bp full length arsB gene encoding arsenite efflux pump and a 409 bp fragment of arsC gene coding for arsenate reductase were isolated from the genera Halomonas and Acinetobacter. Phylogenetic analysis of arsB and arsC genes indicated their close genetic relationship with plasmid borne ars genes of E. coli and arsenate reductase of plant origin. The putative arsenate reductase gene isolated from Acinetobacter species complemented arsenate resistance in E. coli WC3110 and JM109 validating its function. This study dealing with isolation of native arsenic-resistant bacteria and characterization of their ars genes might be useful to develop efficient arsenic detoxification strategies for arsenic contaminated aquifers.

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Acknowledgments

M. Sri Lakshmi Sunita would like to thank Council of Scientific and Industrial Research—University Grants Commission, New Delhi for providing JRF and SRF fellowships. We gratefully acknowledge Dr. Rita Mukhopadhyay, Prof. B. P. Rosen, Wayne State University, Detroit, USA, for gifting E. coli arsC deletion strain WC3110. We also thank anonymous reviewers for their helpful and constructive comments on the manuscript. We are also thankful to the University Grants Commission and the Department of Biotechnology, New Delhi for the financial assistance in the form of DBT-OU-ISLARE program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Genetics, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500 007, India

    M. Sri Lakshmi Sunita, S. Prashant, Padma Balaravi & P. B. Kavi Kishor

  2. Department of Biotechnology, Krishna University, Machilipatnam, 522 001, India

    P. V. Bramha Chari

  3. Department of Botany, Osmania University, Hyderabad, 500 007, India

    S. Nageswara Rao

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  1. M. Sri Lakshmi Sunita
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Correspondence to P. B. Kavi Kishor.

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Sri Lakshmi Sunita, M., Prashant, S., Bramha Chari, P.V. et al. Molecular identification of arsenic-resistant estuarine bacteria and characterization of their ars genotype. Ecotoxicology 21, 202–212 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10646-011-0779-x

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