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Biochemical Basis of Mercury Remediation and Bioaccumulation by Enterobacter sp. EMB21

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Abstract

The aims of this study were to isolate metal bioaccumulating bacterial strains and to study their applications in removal of environmental problematic heavy metals like mercury. Five bacterial strains belonging to genera Enterobacter, Bacillus, and Pseudomonas were isolated from oil-spilled soil. Among these, one of the strains Enterobacter sp. EMB21 showed mercury bioaccumulation inside the cells simultaneous to its bioremediation. The bioaccumulation of remediated mercury was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray. The mercury-resistant loci in the Enterobacter sp. EMB21 cells were plasmid-mediated as confirmed by transformation of mercury-sensitive Escherichia coli DH5α by Enterobacter sp. EMB21 plasmid. Effect of different culture parameters viz-a-viz inoculum size, pH, carbon, and nitrogen source revealed that alkaline pH and presence of dextrose and yeast extract favored better remediation. The results indicated the usefulness of Enterobacter sp. EMB21 for the effective remediation of mercury in bioaccumulated form. The Enterobacter sp. EMB21 seems promising for heavy metal remediation wherein the remediated metal can be trapped inside the cells. The process can further be developed for the synthesis of valuable high-end functional alloy, nanoparticles, or metal conjugates from the metal being remediated.

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Acknowledgments

Authors gratefully acknowledge the funds provided by the Department of Biotechnology (Govt. of India) for supporting the work. A. Sinha is grateful to The University Grants commission (Govt. of India) for the senior research fellowship. S. Kumar is thankful to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (Govt. of India) for the award of senior research fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Enzyme and Microbial Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016, India

    Arvind Sinha, Sumit Kumar & Sunil Kumar Khare

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  1. Arvind Sinha
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  2. Sumit Kumar
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  3. Sunil Kumar Khare
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Correspondence to Sunil Kumar Khare.

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Sinha, A., Kumar, S. & Khare, S.K. Biochemical Basis of Mercury Remediation and Bioaccumulation by Enterobacter sp. EMB21. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 169, 256–267 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-012-9970-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-012-9970-7

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