Abstract
A bacterial strain (HB-5) capable of utilizing atrazine as sole carbon and nitrogen source for growth was isolated from an industrial wastewater sample by enrichment culture. The isolate was identified as Arthrobacter sp. according to its phenotypic features, physiologic and biochemical characteristics, and phylogenetic analysis. The strain exhibited faster atrazine degradation rates in atrazine-containing mineral media than the well-characterized atrazine-degrading bacteria Pseudomonas sp. ADP. The broad optimum pH and temperature ranges observed for strain HB-5 indicate that it has potential for remediation of atrazine-contaminated sites. Strain HB-5 first metabolizes atrazine to yield hydroxyatrazine. Then, the bacterium metabolizes hydroxyatrazine to cyanuric acid, but could not mineralize atrazine.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Behki, R., Topp, E., Dick, W., & Germon, P. (1993). Metabolism of the herbicide atrazine by Rhodococcus Strains. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 59, 1955–1959.
Behki, R. M., & Khan, S. U. (1994). Degradation of atrazine, propazine, and simazine by Rhodococcus Strain B-30. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 42, 1237–1241.
Boundy-Mills, K. L., de Souza, M. L., Mandelbaum, R. T., Wackett, L. P., & Sadowsky, M. J. (1997). The atzB gene of Pseudomonas sp strain ADP encodes the second enzyme of a novel atrazine degradation pathway. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 63, 916–923.
Bouquard, C., Ouazzani, J., Prome, J. C., Briand, Y. M., & Plesiat, P. (1997). Dechlorination of atrazine by a Rhizobium sp. isolate. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 63, 862–866.
Buchanan, R. E., & Gibbons, N. E. (1974). Bergey’s manual of determinative bacteriology. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
Cai, B., Han, Y., Liu, B., Ren, Y., & Jiang, S. (2003). Isolation and characterization of an atrazine-degrading bacterium from industrial wastewater in China. Letters in Applied Microbiology, 36, 272–276.
Crain, A. D., Guillette, L. J., Roopey, A. A., & Pickford, D. B. (1997). Alterations in steroidogenesis in alligators (Alligators mississippiensis) exposed naturally and experimentally to environmental contaminants. Environmental Health Perspectives, 105, 528–533.
Dalton, R. (2002). Frogs put in the gender blender by America’s favourite herbicides. Nature, 416, 665–666.
De Souza, M. L., Sadowsky, M. J., & Wackett, L. P. (1996). Atrazine chlorohydrolase from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP: gene sequence, enzyme purification and protein characterization. Journal of Bacteriology, 178, 4894–4900.
De Souza, M. L., Seffernic, K. J., Martinez, B., Sadowsky, M. J., & Wackett, L. P. (1998). The atrazine catabolism genes atzABC are widespread and highly conserved. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 64, 178–184.
Eaton, R. W., & Karns, J. S. (1991). Cloning and comparison of the DNA encoding ammelide aminohydrolase and cyanuric acid amidohydrolase from three s-triazine-degrading bacterial strains. Journal of Bacteriology, 173, 1363–1366.
Giardi, M. T., Giardina, M. C., & Filacchioni, G. (1985). Chemical and biological degradation of primary metabolism of atrazine by a Nocardia strain. Agriculture Biology and Chemistry, 49, 1551–1558.
Giddings, J. M., Anderson, T. A., Hall, L. W., Jr, Kendall, R. J., Richards, R. P., Solomon, K. R., et al. (2004). A probabilistic aquatic ecological risk assessment of atrazine in North American surface waters. Pensacola, FL: SETAC.
Li, Q. Y., Li, Y., Zhu, X. K., & Cai, B. L. (2008). Isolation and characterization of atrazine-degrading Arthrobacter sp. AD26 and use of this strain in bioremediation of contaminated soil. Journal of Environment Science, 20, 1226–1230.
Mahía, J., Martín, A., & Díaz-Raviña, M. (2008). Extractable atrazine and its metabolites in agricultural soils from the temperate humid zone. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 30, 147–152.
Mandelbaum, R. T., Allan, D. L., & Wackett, L. P. (1995). Isolation and characterization of a Pesudomonas sp. that mineralizes the s-triazine herbicide atrazine. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 61, 1451–1457.
Martinez, B. J., Tomkins, L. P., Wackett, R. W., & Sadowsky, M. J. (2001). Complete nucleotide sequence and organization of the atrazine catabolic plasmid pADP-1 from Pseudomonas sp. strain ADP. Journal of Bacteriology, 183, 5684–5697.
Murphya, M. B., Hecke, M., Coady, K. K., Tompsett, A. R., Jones, P. D., Du Preez, L. H., et al. (2006). Atrazine concentrations, gonadal gross morphology and histology in ranid frogs collected in Michigan agricultural areas. Aquatic Toxicology, 76, 230–245.
Nagy, I., Compernolle, F., Ghys, K. J., Vanderleyden, J., & Mot, D. R. (1995). A single cytochrome P-450 system is involved in degradation of the herbicide EPTC (s-ethyl dipropylthiocarbamate) and atrazine by Rhodococcus sp. strain NI86/21. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 61, 2056–2060.
Radosevich, M., Traina, S. J., Hao, Y. L., & Tuovinen, O. H. (1995). Degradation and mineralization of atrazine by a soil bacterial isolate. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 61, 297–302.
Schiavon, M. (1988). Studies of the leaching of atrazine, of its chlorinated derivatives, and of hydroxyatrazine from soil using 14C ring-labeled compounds under outdoor conditions. Ecotoxicology and Environment Safety, 15, 46–54.
Solomon, K., Baker, D., Richards, P., Dixon, K., Klaine, S., LaPoint, T., et al. (1996). Ecological risk assessment of atrazine in North American surface waters. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 15, 31–76.
Strong, L. C., Rosendahl, C., Johnson, G., Sadowsky, M. J., & Wackett, L. P. (2002). Arthrobacter auresens TC1 metabolizes diverse s-triazine ring compounds. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 68, 5973–5980.
Struthers, J. K., Jayachandran, K., & Moorman, T. B. (1998). Biodegradation of atrazine by Agrobacterium radiobacter J14a and use of this strain in bioremediation of contaminated soil. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 64, 3368–3375.
Topp, E., Mulbry, W. M., Zhu, H., Nour, S. M., & Cuppels, D. (2000a). Characterization of s-triazine herbicide metabolism by a Nocardioides sp. isolated from agricultural soils. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 66, 3134–3141.
Topp, E., Zhu, H., Nour, S. M., Houot, S., Lewis, M., & Cuppels, D. (2000b). Characterization of an atrazine-degrading Pseudaminobacter sp. isolated from Canadian and French agricultural soils. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 66, 2773–2782.
Vaishampayan, P. A., Kanekar, P. P., & Dhakephalkar, P. K. (2007). Isolation and characterization of Arthrobacter sp. strain MCM B-436, an atrazine-degrading bacterium, from rhizospheric soil. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation, 60, 273–278.
Vibber, L. L., Pressler, M. J., & Colores, G. M. (2007). Isolation and characterization of novel atrazine-degrading microorganisms from an agricultural soil. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 75, 921–928.
Wackett, L. P., Sadowsky, M. J., Martinez, B., & Shapir, N. (2002). Biodegradation of atrazine and related triazine compounds: from enzymes to field studies. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 58, 39–45.
Yanze-Kontchou, C., & Gschwind, N. (1994). Mineralization of the herbicide atrazine as a carbon source by a Pseudomonas strains. Applied and Environment Microbiology, 60, 4297–4302.
Acknowledgments
This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.20477022 and 40801203), National Key Technology R&D Program (No. 2008BADA4B05), the Postdoctoral Science Foundation of China (No. 20080431215 and 200801418), and Shandong Agricultural University Foundation (No. 23605).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, J., Zhu, L., Liu, A. et al. Isolation and characterization of an Arthrobacter sp. strain HB-5 that transforms atrazine. Environ Geochem Health 33, 259–266 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-010-9337-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-010-9337-3