Pentavalent arsenate reductase activity in cytosolic fractions of Pseudomonas sp., isolated from arsenic-contaminated sites of Tezpur, Assam

Metagenomic Evidence for a Methylocystis Species Capable of Bioremediation of Diverse Heavy Metals

Heavy metal pollution has become an increasingly serious problem worldwide. Co-contamination with toxic mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) presents a particularly difficult bioremediation trouble. By oxidizing the greenhouse gas methane, methanotrophs have been demonstrated to have high denitrification activity in eutrophic waters, indicating their possible potential for use in bioremediation of Hg(II) and As(V) in polluted water. Using metagenomics, a novel Methylocystis species (HL18), which was one of the most prevalent bacteria (9.9% of the relative abundance) in a CH₄-based bio-reactor, is described here. The metagenomic-assembled genome (MAG) HL18 had gene products whose average amino acid identity against other known Methylocystis species varied from 69 to 85%, higher than the genus threshold but lower than the species boundary. Genomic analysis indicated that HL18 possessed all the genes necessary for the reduction of Hg(II) and As(V). Phylogenetic investigation of mercuric reductase (MerA) found that the HL18 protein was most closely affiliated with proteins from two Hg(II)-reducing bacteria, Bradyrhizobium sp. strain CCH5-F6 and Paracoccus halophilus. The genomic organization and phylogeny of the genes in the As(V)-reducing operon (arsRCCB) had significant identity with those from a As(V)-reducing bacterium belonging to the Rhodopseudomonas genus, indicating their reduction capability of As(V). Further analysis found that at least eight genera of methanotrophs possess both Hg(II) and As(V) reductases, illustrating the generally overlooked metabolic potential of methanotrophs. These results suggest that methanotrophs have greater bioremediation potential in heavy metal contaminated water than has been appreciated and could play an important role in the mitigation of heavy metal toxicity of contaminated wastewater.

Isolation and characterization of aerobic, culturable, arsenic-tolerant bacteria from lead-zinc mine tailing in southern China

Bioremediation of arsenic (As) pollution is an important environmental issue. The present investigation was carried out to isolate As-resistant novel bacteria and characterize their As transformation and tolerance ability. A total of 170 As-resistant bacteria were isolated from As-contaminated soils at the Kangjiawan lead-zinc tailing mine, located in Hunan Province, southern China. Thirteen As-resistant isolates were screened by exposure to 260 mM Na₂HAsO₄·7H₂O, most of which showed a very high level of resistance to As⁵⁺ (MIC ≥ 600 mM) and As³⁺ (MIC ≥ 10 mM). Sequence analysis of 16S rRNA genes indicated that the 13 isolates tested belong to the phyla Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria, and these isolates were assigned to eight genera, Bacillus, Williamsia, Citricoccus, Rhodococcus, Arthrobacter, Ochrobactrum, Pseudomonas and Sphingomonas. Genes involved in As resistance were present in 11 of the isolates. All 13 strains transformed As (1 mM); the oxidation and reduction rates were 5-30% and 10-51.2% within 72 h, respectively. The rates of oxidation by Bacillus sp. Tw1 and Pseudomonas spp. Tw224 peaked at 42.48 and 34.94% at 120 h, respectively. For Pseudomonas spp. Tw224 and Bacillus sp. Tw133, the highest reduction rates were 52.01% at 48 h and 48.66% at 144 h, respectively. Our findings will facilitate further research into As metabolism and bioremediation of As pollution by genome sequencing and genes modification.

Arsenic behavior in different biogeochemical zonations approximately along the groundwater flow path in Datong Basin, northern China

Studies have shown that arsenic is desorbed/released into groundwater as a result of bacterial reduction of As(V) and Fe(III). However, bacterial activities like sulfate reduction process can also reduce the content of arsenic in groundwater. In this study, we examined the effects of different biogeochemical processes (e.g. NO₃^- and SO₄^2- reduction) on arsenic, by investigating the chemical characteristics and bacterial community structure of groundwater in the Datong Basin, northern China. Along the groundwater flow path, arsenic concentration increased from <1 to 947.6μg/L with dominant bacteria change from aerobic (Fluviicola, Rhodococcus) to denitrifying bacteria (Thauera, Gallionella), and then to sulfate reducing bacteria (Desulfosporosinus). According to the groundwater redox sensitive indicators (Eh, NO₃^-, SO₄^2-/Cl^- and Fe²⁺) concentrations (or ratios), the sampling points were approximately divided into three zones (I, I'' and II). Variation in features of these indicators suggested that the groundwater evolved from a weakly oxidizing environment (Zone I, Eh average 93.3mV, respectively) to strong reducing environment (Zone II, Eh average -101.8mV). In Zone I, bacteria mainly consuming O₂ or NO₃^- were found which inhibits Fe(III) and As(V) reduction reaction, resulting in a low As zone (<1 to 3.3μg/L). However, in Zone II, where O₂ and NO₃^- have been depleted, SO₄^2- reduction appears to be the dominant process, and the Fe(III) and As(V) reduction processes are also occurring and hence, enrichment of As in the groundwater (2.8 to 947.6μg/L, average 285.6μg/L). Besides, bacterial Fe(III) reduction process was retarded due to the weakly alkaline conditions (pH7.60-8.11, average 7.83), but abiotic Fe(III) reduction by HS^- may be continued. Therefore, we conclude that the Fe(III) and As(V) reduction processes contributed to arsenic enrichment in the groundwater, and the reductive desorption of arsenate is the main occurring process especially in the weakly alkaline environment. Moreover, NO₃^- reduction process can significantly restrain the release of arsenic, but the process of SO₄^2- reduction is insignificant for arsenic concentration decline in natural groundwater.

Characterization of arsenite tolerant Halomonas sp. Alang-4, originated from heavy metal polluted shore of Gulf of Cambay

Arsenite [As(III)]-oxidizing bacteria were isolated from heavy metal contaminated shore of Gulf of Cambay at Alang, India. The most efficient bacterial strain Alang-4 could tolerate up to 15 mM arsenite [As(III)] and 200 mM of arsenate [As(V)]. Its 16S rRNA gene sequence was 99% identical to the 16S rRNA genes of genus Halomonas (Accession no. HQ659187). Arsenite oxidase enzyme localized on membrane helped in conversion of As(III) to As(V). Arsenite transporter genes (arsB, acr3(1) and acr3(2)) assisted in extrusion of arsenite from Halomonas sp. Alang-4. Generation of ROS in response to arsenite stress was alleviated by higher activities of catalase, ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione S-transferase enzymes. Down-regulation in the specific activities of nearly all dehydrogenases of carbon assimilatory pathway viz., glucose-6-phosphate, pyruvate, α-ketoglutarate, isocitrate and malate dehydrogenases, was observed in presence of As(III), whereas, the specific activities of phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase, pyruvate carboxylase and isocitrate lyase enzymes were found to increase two times in As(III) treated cells. The results suggest that in addition to efficient ars operon, alternative pathways of carbon utilization exist in the marine bacterium Halomonas sp. Alang-4 to overcome the toxic effects of arsenite on its dehydrogenase enzymes.

Statistical design of experiments for optimization of arsenate reductase production by Kocuria palustris (RJB-6) and immobilization parameters in polymer beads

This study presents statistical optimization of operational parameters for enhancement of arsenate reductase production by an arsenic tolerant bacterium Kocuria palustris (RJB-6).

Comparative survey of bacterial and archaeal communities in high arsenic shallow aquifers using 454 pyrosequencing and traditional methods

A survey of bacterial and archaeal community structure was carried out in 10 shallow tube wells in a high arsenic groundwater system located in Hetao Basin, Inner Mongolia by 16S rRNA gene based two-step nested PCR-DGGE, clone libraries and 454 pyrosequencing. 12 bacterial and 18 archaeal DGGE bands and 26-136 species-level OTUs were detected for all the samples. 299 bacterial and 283 archaeal 16S rRNA gene clones for two typical samples were identified by phylogenetic analysis. Most of the results from these different methods were consistent with the dominant bacterial populations. But the proportions of the microbial populations were mostly different and the bacterial communities in most of these samples from pyrosequencing were both more abundant and more diverse than those from the traditional methods. Even after quality filtering, pyrosequencing revealed some populations including Alishewanella, Sulfuricurvum, Arthrobacter, Sporosarcina and Algoriphagus which were not detected with traditional techniques. The most dominant bacterial populations in these samples identified as some arsenic, iron, nitrogen and sulfur reducing and oxidizing related populations including Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, Flavobacterium, Brevundimonas, Massilia, Planococcus, and Aquabacterium and archaeal communities Nitrosophaera and Methanosaeta. Acinetobacter and Pseudomonas were distinctly abundant in most of these samples. Methanogens were found as the dominant archeal population with three methods. From the results of traditional methods, the dominant archaeal populations apparently changed from phylum Thaumarchaeota to Euryarchaeota with the arsenic concentrations increasing. But this structure dynamic change was not revealed with pyrosequencing. Our results imply that an integrated approach combining the traditional methods and next generation sequencing approaches to characterize the microbial communities in high arsenic groundwater is recommended.

Phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses of arsenic-reducing bacteria isolated from an old tin mine area in Thailand

An agar plate screening assay was used to determine whether 100 arsenic-resistant bacterial isolates, previously obtained from arsenic-contaminated soils, had the ability to transform arsenite and arsenate. Ninety-five percent of the isolates were capable of reducing arsenate on agar plates. The isolates also grew in the presence of high concentrations of arsenite, but none of the bacterial isolates oxidized arsenite to arsenate under the growth conditions tested. About 14 % (13 of 95) of the tested isolates transformed high levels of arsenate (33-70 μM) when tested using the molybdenum blue method. Partial sequence analysis of 16S rDNA genes indicated that the isolates belonged to two broad taxonomic groups: Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. Ten isolates were assigned to four species in the genus Bacillus, and three isolates belonged to two species in the genera Enterobacter and Ochrobactrum. Taken together these results indicate that phylogenetically diverse bacteria isolated from arsenic-contaminated soils in an old tin mine area in Thailand have the ability to transform arsenate to arsenite.