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The isolation of heavy-metal resistant culturable bacteria and resistance determinants from a heavy-metal-contaminated site

  • Section Cellular and Molecular Biology
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Abstract

In this study we performed a phylogenetic analysis of a culturable bacterial community isolated from heavymetal-contaminated soil from southwest Slovakia using 16S rRNA (16S rDNA) and heavy-metal resistance genes. The soil sample contained high concentrations of nickel (2,109 mg/kg), cobalt (355 mg/kg) and zinc (177 mg/kg), smaller concentrations of iron (35.75 mg/kg) and copper (32.2 mg/kg), and a trace amount of cadmium (<0.25 mg/kg). A total of 100 isolates were grown on rich (Nutrient agar No. 2) or minimal (soil-extract agar medium) medium. The isolates were identified by phylogenetic analysis using partial sequences of their 16S rRNA (16S rDNA) genes. Representatives of two broad taxonomic groups, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, were found on rich medium, whereas four taxonomic groups, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, were represented on minimal medium. Forty-two isolates grown on rich medium were assigned to 20 bacterial species, while 58 bacteria grown on minimal medium belonged to 49 species. Twenty-three isolates carried czcA- and/or nccA-like heavy-metal-resistance determinants. The heavy-metalresistance genes of nine isolates were identified by phylogenetic analysis of their protein sequences.

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Abbreviations

16S rRNA:

16S ribosomal RNA

16S rDNA:

16S ribosomal DNA

czcA:

heavy-metal-resistance determinant

MM:

minimal medium

NCBI:

National Center for Biotechnology Information

nccA:

heavy-metal-resistance determinant

RM:

rich medium.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 21, SK-84551, Bratislava, Slovakia

    Edita Karelová, Jana Harichová, Tatjana Stojnev, Domenico Pangallo & Peter Ferianc

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  1. Edita Karelová
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  2. Jana Harichová
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  3. Tatjana Stojnev
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  4. Domenico Pangallo
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  5. Peter Ferianc
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Correspondence to Peter Ferianc.

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Karelová, E., Harichová, J., Stojnev, T. et al. The isolation of heavy-metal resistant culturable bacteria and resistance determinants from a heavy-metal-contaminated site. Biologia 66, 18–26 (2011). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-010-0145-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-010-0145-0

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