Diversity and community structure of culturable arsenic-resistant bacteria across a soil arsenic gradient at an abandoned tungsten-tin mining area

Plant growth-promoting and heavy metal-resistant Priestia and Bacillus strains associated with pioneer plants from mine tailings

Open mine tailings dams are extreme artificial environments containing sizeable potentially toxic elements (PTEs), including heavy metals (HMs), transition metals, and metalloids. Furthermore, these tailings have nutritional deficiencies, including assimilable phosphorus sources, organic carbon, and combined nitrogen, preventing plant colonization. Bacteria, that colonize these environments, have mechanisms to tolerate the selective pressures of PTEs. In this work, several Priestia megaterium (formerly Bacillus megaterium), Bacillus mojavensis, and Bacillus subtilis strains were isolated from bulk tailings, anthills, rhizosphere, and endosphere of pioneer plants from abandoned mine tailings in Zacatecas, Mexico. Bacillus spp. tolerated moderate HMs concentrations, produced siderophores and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), solubilized phosphates, and reduced acetylene in the presence of HMs. The strains harbored different PIB-type ATPase genes encoding for efflux pumps and Cation Diffusion Facilitator (CDF) genes. Moreover, nifH and nifD nitrogenase genes were detected in P. megaterium and B. mojavensis genomic DNA. They showed similarity with sequences of the beta-Proteobacteria species, which may represent likely horizontal transfer events. These Bacillus species precede the colonization of mine tailings by plants. Their phenotypic and genotypic features could be essential in the natural recovery of the sites by reducing the oxidative stress of HMs, fixing nitrogen, solubilizing phosphate, and accumulating organic carbon. These traits of the strains reflect the adaptations of Bacillus species to the mine tailings environment and could contribute to the success of phytoremediation efforts.

Use of Microbial Consortia in Bioremediation of Metalloid Polluted Environments

Metalloids are released into the environment due to the erosion of the rocks or anthropogenic activities, causing problems for human health in different world regions. Meanwhile, microorganisms with different mechanisms to tolerate and detoxify metalloid contaminants have an essential role in reducing risks. In this review, we first define metalloids and bioremediation methods and examine the ecology and biodiversity of microorganisms in areas contaminated with these metalloids. Then we studied the genes and proteins involved in the tolerance, transport, uptake, and reduction of these metalloids. Most of these studies focused on a single metalloid and co-contamination of multiple pollutants were poorly discussed in the literature. Furthermore, microbial communication within consortia was rarely explored. Finally, we summarized the microbial relationships between microorganisms in consortia and biofilms to remove one or more contaminants. Therefore, this review article contains valuable information about microbial consortia and their mechanisms in the bioremediation of metalloids.

Microbial remediation and plant-microbe interaction under arsenic pollution

Arsenic contamination in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem is a serious environmental issue. Both natural and anthropogenic processes can introduce it into the environment. The speciation of the As determine the level of its toxicity. Among the four oxidation states of As (-3, 0, +3, and + 5), As(III) and As(V) are the common species found in the environment, As(III) being the more toxic with adverse impact on the plants and animals including human health. Therefore, it is very necessary to remediate arsenic from the polluted water and soil. Different physicochemical as well as biological strategies can be used for the amelioration of arsenic polluted soil. Among the microbial approaches, oxidation of arsenite, methylation of arsenic, biosorption, bioprecipitation and bioaccumulation are the promising transformation activities in arsenic remediation. The purpose of this review is to discuss the significance of the microorganisms in As toxicity amelioration in soil, factors affecting the microbial remediation, interaction of the plants with As resistant bacteria, and the effect of microorganisms on plant arsenic tolerance mechanism. In addition, the exploration of genetic engineering of the bacteria has a huge importance in bioremediation strategies, as the engineered microbes are more potent in terms of remediation activity along with quick adaptively in As polluted sites.

Mobilization of As, Fe, and Mn from Contaminated Sediment in Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions: Chemical or Microbiological Triggers?

We integrated aqueous chemistry, spectroscopy, and microbiology techniques to identify chemical and microbial processes affecting the release of arsenic (As), iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) from contaminated sediments exposed to aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The sediments were collected from Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal lands in South Dakota, which has dealt with mining legacy for several decades. The range of concentrations of total As measured from contaminated sediments was 96 to 259 mg kg^-1, which co-occurs with Fe (21 000-22 005 mg kg^-1) and Mn (682-703 mg kg^-1). The transition from aerobic to anaerobic redox conditions yielded the highest microbial diversity, and the release of the highest concentrations of As, Fe, and Mn in batch experiments reacted with an exogenous electron donor (glucose). The reduction of As was confirmed by XANES analyses when transitioning from aerobic to anaerobic conditions. In contrast, the releases of As, Fe and Mn after a reaction with phosphate was at least 1 order of magnitude lower compared with experiments amended with glucose. Our results indicate that mine waste sediments amended with an exogenous electron donor trigger microbial reductive dissolution caused by anaerobic respiration. These dissolution processes can affect metal mobilization in systems transitioning from aerobic to anaerobic conditions in redox gradients. Our results are relevant for natural systems, for surface and groundwater exchange, or other systems in which metal cycling is influenced by chemical and biological processes.

Influence of Rahnella aquatilis on arsenic accumulation by Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara for the phytoremediation of arsenic-contaminated water

Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara is a suitable submerged plant for the phytoremediation of As-contaminated water. Rahnella aquatilis is one of the plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria. Influences of R. aquatilis on the arsenic accumulation and detoxification of V. natans were investigated. The results showed that As accumulation by V. natans could be significantly improved after R. aquatilis inoculated at the lower level of As (< 2 mg/L). At 0.5, 1, and 2 mg/L As levels, the As concentrations of V. natans with R. aquatilis were respectively 100.40%, 57.96%, and 22.62% higher than that of V. natans with no R. aquatilis. The concentration of As in V. natans was increased with the increasing the As concentration up to 1 mg/L, but it was decreased at 2 mg/L As. The correlation analysis showed that the As accumulated in the plant was positive correlated (R² = 0.977, p < 0.01) with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) produced by R. aquatilis under different As levels. IAA may be the major factor affecting the As accumulation of V. natans. The results of malondialdehyde and superoxide dismutase, hydrogen peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase indicated that IAA produced by R. aquatilis had alleviated the arsenic stress on V. natans. The synthesis of IAA by R. aquatilis was related to the As levels. When the As was at 2 mg/L, the IAA that produced by R. aquatilis decreased and the promotion of R. aquatilis on As accumulation by V. natans reduced. However, R. aquatilis has a positive influence on the arsenic accumulation by V. natans at the lower As levels (< 2 mg/L), and it may be a potentially useful way to improve the removal of arsenic from contaminated water using submerged plants.

Characterization of Arsenic-Resistant Endophytic Bacteria From Alfalfa and Chickpea Plants

The present investigation was carried out to isolate arsenic (As)-resistant endophytic bacteria from the roots of alfalfa and chickpea plants grown in arsenic-contamination soil, characterize their As tolerance ability, plant growth-promoting characteristics, and their role to induce As resistance by the plant. A total of four root endophytic bacteria were isolated from plants grown in As-contaminated soil (160-260-mg As kg^-1 of soil). These isolates were studied for plant growth-promoting (PGP) characteristics through siderophore, phosphate solubilization, nitrogen fixation, protease, and lipase production, and the presence of the arsenate reductase (arsC) gene. Based on 16S rDNA sequence analysis, these isolates belong to the genera Acinetobacter, Pseudomonas, and Rahnella. All isolates were found As tolerant, of which one isolate, Pseudomonas sp. QNC1, showed the highest tolerance up to 350-mM concentration in the LB medium. All isolates exhibited phosphate solubilization activity. Siderophore production activity was shown by only Pseudomonas sp. QNC1, while nitrogen fixation activity was shown by only Rahnella sp. QNC2 isolate. Acinetobacter sp. QNA1, QNA2, and Rahnella sp. QNC2 exhibited lipase production, while only Pseudomonas sp. QNC1 was able to produce protease. The presence of the arsC gene was detected in all isolates. The effect of endophytic bacteria on biomass production of alfalfa and chickpea in five levels of arsenic concentrations (0-, 10-, 50-, 75-, and 100-mg kg^-1 soil) was evaluated. The fresh and dry weights of roots of alfalfa and chickpea plants were decreased as the arsenic concentration of the soil was increased. Results indicate that the fresh and dry root weights of alfalfa and chickpea plants were significantly higher in endophytic bacteria-treated plants compared with non-treated plants. Inoculation of chickpea plants with Pseudomonas sp. QNC1 and Rahnella sp. QNC2 induced lower NPR3 gene expression in chickpea roots grown in soil with the final concentration of 100-mg kg^-1 sodium arsenate compared with the non-endophyte-treated control. The same results were obtained in Acinetobacter sp. QNA2-treated alfalfa plants grown in the soil plus 50-mg kg^-1 sodium arsenate. These results demonstrated that arsenic-resistant endophytic bacteria are potential candidates to enhance plant-growth promotion in As contamination soils. Characterization of bacterial endophytes with plant growth potential can help us apply them to improve plant yield under stress conditions.

The Dynamics of Tungsten in Soil: An Overview

The increasing use of tungsten in the production of green energy in the aerospace and military industries, and in many other hi-tech applications, may increase the content of this element in soil. This overview examines some aspects of the behavior of tungsten in soil, such as the importance of characteristics of soils in relation to bioavailability processes, the chemical approaches to evaluate tungsten mobility in the soil environment and the importance of adsorption and desorption processes. Tungsten behavior depends on soil properties of which the most important is soil pH, which determines the solubility and polymerization of tungstate ions and the characteristics of the adsorbing soil surfaces. During the adsorption and desorption of tungsten, iron, and aluminum oxides, and hydroxides play a key role as they are the most important adsorbing surfaces for tungsten. The behavior of tungsten compounds in the soil determines the transfer of this element in plants and therefore in the food chain. Despite the growing importance of tungsten in everyday life, environmental regulations concerning soil do not take this element into consideration. The purpose of this review is also to provide some basic information that could be useful when considering tungsten in environmental legislation.

Design, Operation and Optimization of Constructed Wetland for Removal of Pollutant

Constructed wetlands (CWs) are affordable and reliable green technologies for the treatment of various types of wastewater. Compared to conventional treatment systems, CWs offer an environmentally friendly approach, are low cost, have fewer operational and maintenance requirements, and have a high potential for being applied in developing countries, particularly in small rural communities. However, the sustainable management and successful application of these systems remain a challenge. Therefore, after briefly providing basic information on wetlands and summarizing the classification and use of current CWs, this study aims to provide and inspire sustainable solutions for the performance and application of CWs by giving a comprehensive review of CWs' application and the recent development of their sustainable design, operation, and optimization for wastewater treatment. To accomplish this objective, thee design and management parameters of CWs, including macrophyte species, media types, water level, hydraulic retention time (HRT), and hydraulic loading rate (HLR), are discussed. Besides these, future research on improving the stability and sustainability of CWs are highlighted. This article provides a tool for researchers and decision-makers for using CWs to treat wastewater in a particular area. This paper presents an aid for informed analysis, decision-making, and communication. The review indicates that major advances in the design, operation, and optimization of CWs have greatly increased contaminant removal efficiencies, and the sustainable application of this treatment system has also been improved.

Molecular Biology-Based Analysis of the Interactive Effect of Nickel and Xanthates on Soil Bacterial Community Diversity and Structure

Metals and mineral flotation collector’s toxicity to the soil living system greatly compromise the sustainability of mining and ore processing. Their effects on the soil microbial community, the most active soil component, remain less understood and addressed particularly with regards to xanthates and their combination with metals. This study analyzed the interactive effects of Ni and xanthates, potassium ethyl xanthate and sodium isopropyl xanthate, on the soil bacterial community through an efficient molecular biology-based technique, the Miseq (Illumina). Both soil microbial community diversity and structure were more affected by xanthates than by Ni. The five most dominant phyla, representing 96.31% of the whole bacterial community, comprised Proteobacteria (54.16%), Firmicutes (17.51%), Actinobacteria (15.59%), Acidobacteria (4.87%), and Chloroflexi (4.16%). Different soil treatments exhibited greater difference in the species abundance/dominance than in the species numbers. Proteobacteria was the most dominant in the presence of xanthates, individually or in mixtures with nickel, while Firmicutes exhibited its highest proportion in the Ni/xanthate-treated samples. The most abundant and proportionally different bacterial species between different treatments were presented. The most abundant bacterial strains identified should be explored more for their potential application in biomining and for the prediction and biologically-based treatment and remediation of Ni and xanthate-contaminated systems.

Taxonomically-linked growth phenotypes during arsenic stress among arsenic resistant bacteria isolated from soils overlying the Centralia coal seam fire

Arsenic (As), a toxic element, has impacted life since early Earth. Thus, microorganisms have evolved many As resistance and tolerance mechanisms to improve their survival outcomes given As exposure. We isolated As resistant bacteria from Centralia, PA, the site of an underground coal seam fire that has been burning since 1962. From a 57.4°C soil collected from a vent above the fire, we isolated 25 unique aerobic As resistant bacterial strains spanning seven genera. We examined their diversity, resistance gene content, transformation abilities, inhibitory concentrations, and growth phenotypes. Although As concentrations were low at the time of soil collection (2.58 ppm), isolates had high minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of arsenate and arsenite (>300 mM and 20 mM respectively), and most isolates were capable of arsenate reduction. We screened isolates (PCR and sequencing) using 12 published primer sets for six As resistance genes (AsRGs). Genes encoding arsenate reductase (arsC) and arsenite efflux pumps (arsB, ACR3(2)) were present, and phylogenetic incongruence between 16S rRNA genes and AsRGs provided evidence for horizontal gene transfer. A detailed investigation of differences in isolate growth phenotypes across As concentrations (lag time to exponential growth, maximum growth rate, and maximum OD590) showed a relationship with taxonomy, providing information that could help to predict an isolate's performance given As exposure in situ. Our results suggest that microbiological management and remediation of environmental As could be informed by taxonomically-linked As tolerance, potential for resistance gene transferability, and the rare biosphere.

Diversity and arsenic-tolerance potential of bacterial communities from soil and sediments along a gold tailing contamination gradient

Gold tailings often release arsenic (As) contaminants into the surrounding environment. Microorganisms play an important role in the As cycle, whereas the effects of As on bacterial communities remain unclear. To reveal the effects of As on the diversity of bacterial communities and their As-tolerance potential, farmland soil and river sediment samples were collected at various distances from tailings in the Dandong area of northeastern China. The bacterial communities were analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA genes. The membrane transport proteins ArsB and (or) ACR3 pump As(III) out of the cell to resist As toxicity. We studied the abundance and phylogeny of ArsB and ACR3 using PCR-based clone libraries and quantitative PCR. The bacterial community was divided into 10 phyla and 59 genera. The transformation from As(V) to As(III) was predominant, which was coupled with denitrification. Both ArsB and ACR3 likely evolved from different orders of Proteobacteria. The arsB gene seems to be more stable in bestowing bacteria with the capability to respond to the As concentration. Moreover, As with iron, manganese, and total organic carbon also influenced the clustering relationships of samples and bacterial distribution.

Atmospheric Deposition-Carried Zn and Cd from a Zinc Smelter and Their Effects on Soil Microflora as Revealed by 16S rDNA

In this study, we investigated the influence of heavy metals (HM) on total soil bacterial population and its diversity pattern from 10 km distance of a Zinc smelter in Feng County, Qinling Mountain, China. We characterized and identified the bacterial community in a HM polluted soil using 16S rDNA technology. Out results indicated that the maximum soil HM concentration and the minimum bacterial population were observed in S2 soil, whereas bacterial diversity raised with the sampling distance increased. The bacterial communities were dominated by the phyla Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria and Actinobacteria in cornfield soils, except Fimicutes phylum which dominated in hilly area soil. The soil CEC, humic acid (HA)/fulvic acid (FA) and microbial OTUs increased with the sampling distance increased. Shewanella, Halomonas and Escherichia genera were highly tolerant to HM stress in both cultivated and non-cultivated soil. Finally, we found a consistent correlation of bacterial diversity with total HM and SOM along the sampling distance surrounding the zinc smelter, which could provide a new insight into the bacterial community-assisted and phytoremediation of HM contaminated soils.

Different effects of three soil microfloras on the corrosion of copper

Many studies have indicated that microorganisms provide less protection or even detrimental effects to metals and alloys.

Assessing environmental drivers of microbial communities in estuarine soils of the Aconcagua River in Central Chile

Aconcagua River basin (Central Chile) harbors diverse economic activities such as agriculture, mining and a crude oil refinery. The aim of this study was to assess environmental drivers of microbial communities in Aconcagua River estuarine soils, which may be influenced by anthropogenic activities taking place upstream and by natural processes such as tides and flood runoffs. Physicochemical parameters were measured in floodplain soils along the estuary. Bacteria, Actinobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Betaproteobacteria, Pseudomonas, Bacillus and Fungi were studied by DGGE fingerprinting of 16S rRNA gene and ribosomal ITS-1 amplified from community DNA. Correlations between environment and communities were assessed by distance-based redundancy analysis. Mainly hydrocarbons, pH and the composed variable copper/arsenic/calcium but in less extent nitrogen and organic matter/phosphorous/magnesium correlated with community structures at different taxonomic levels. Aromatic hydrocarbons degradation potential by bacterial community was studied. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ring-hydroxylating dioxygenases genes were detected only at upstream sites. Naphthalene dioxygenase ndo genes were heterogeneously distributed along estuary, and related to Pseudomonas, Delftia, Comamonas and Ralstonia. IncP-1 plasmids were mainly present at downstream sites, whereas IncP-7 and IncP-9 plasmids showed a heterogeneous distribution. This study strongly suggests that pH, copper, arsenic and hydrocarbons are main drivers of microbial communities in Aconcagua River estuarine soils.

Determination of physiological, taxonomic, and molecular characteristics of a cultivable arsenic-resistant bacterial community

A collection of 219 bacterial arsenic-resistant isolates was constituted from neutral arsenic mine drainage sediments. Isolates were grown aerobically or anaerobically during 21 days on solid DR2A medium using agar or gelan gum as gelling agent, with 7 mM As(III) or 20 mM As(V) as selective pressure. Interestingly, the sum of the different incubation conditions used (arsenic form, gelling agent, oxygen pressure) results in an overall increase of the isolate diversity. Isolated strains mainly belonged to Proteobacteria (63%), Actinobacteria (25%), and Bacteroidetes (10%). The most representative genera were Pseudomonas (20%), Acinetobacter (8%), and Serratia (15%) among the Proteobacteria; Rhodococcus (13%) and Microbacterium (5%) among Actinobacteria; and Flavobacterium (13%) among the Bacteroidetes. Isolates were screened for the presence of arsenic-related genes (arsB, ACR3(1), ACR3(2), aioA, arsM, and arrA). In this way, 106 ACR3(1)-, 74 arsB-, 22 aioA-, 14 ACR3(2)-, and one arsM-positive PCR products were obtained and sequenced. Analysis of isolate sensitivity toward metalloids (arsenite, arsenate, and antimonite) revealed correlations between taxonomy, sensitivity, and genotype. Antimonite sensitivity correlated with the presence of ACR3(1) mainly present in Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria, and arsenite or antimonite resistance correlated with arsB gene presence. The presence of either aioA gene or several different arsenite carrier genes did not ensure a high level of arsenic resistance in the tested conditions.

Differences in Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungal Community Composition in Soils of Three Land Use Types in Subtropical Hilly Area of Southern China

Land use type is key factor in restoring the degraded soils due to its impact on soil chemical properties and microbial community. In this study, the influences of land use type on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) community and soil chemical properties were assessed in a long-run experimental station in subtropical hilly area of southern China. Soil samples were collected from forest land, orchard and vegetable field. Soil chemical properties were analyzed, and PCR-DGGE was performed to explore the AMF community structure. Cloning and sequencing of DGGE bands were conducted to monitor AMF community composition. Results indicate that the contents of total P, available P and available K were the highest while the contents of soil organic matter, total N, total K and available N were the lowest in vegetable field soils, with forest land soils vice versa. According to DGGE profiling, AMF community in forest soils was more closely related to that in orchard soils than that in vegetable field soils. Sequencing indicated that 45 out of 53 excised bands were AMF and 64.4% of AMF belonged to Glomeraceae, including some “generalists” present in all soils and some “specialists” present only in soils of particular land use. Category principle component analysis demonstrated that total N, soil organic matter and available P were the most important factors affecting AMF community, and some AMF phylotypes were closely associated with particular soil chemical properties. Our data suggest that AMF communities are different with different land use types.

Culturable heavy metal-resistant and plant growth promoting bacteria in V-Ti magnetite mine tailing soil from Panzhihua, China

To provide a basis for using indigenous bacteria for bioremediation of heavy metal contaminated soil, the heavy metal resistance and plant growth-promoting activity of 136 isolates from V-Ti magnetite mine tailing soil were systematically analyzed. Among the 13 identified bacterial genera, the most abundant genus was Bacillus (79 isolates) out of which 32 represented B. subtilis and 14 B. pumilus, followed by Rhizobium sp. (29 isolates) and Ochrobactrum intermedium (13 isolates). Altogether 93 isolates tolerated the highest concentration (1000 mg kg⁻¹) of at least one of the six tested heavy metals. Five strains were tolerant against all the tested heavy metals, 71 strains tolerated 1,000 mg kg⁻¹ cadmium whereas only one strain tolerated 1,000 mg kg⁻¹ cobalt. Altogether 67% of the bacteria produced indoleacetic acid (IAA), a plant growth-promoting phytohormone. The concentration of IAA produced by 53 isolates was higher than 20 µg ml⁻¹. In total 21% of the bacteria produced siderophore (5.50–167.67 µg ml⁻¹) with two Bacillus sp. producing more than 100 µg ml⁻¹. Eighteen isolates produced both IAA and siderophore. The results suggested that the indigenous bacteria in the soil have beneficial characteristics for remediating the contaminated mine tailing soil.

Enhancement of Cd phytoextraction by two Amaranthus species with endophytic Rahnella sp. JN27

Microbe-assisted phytoextraction shows a potential for the remediation of metal-contaminated soils. The aim of this study was to isolate, characterize, and evaluate the potential of endophytic bacteria in improving plant growth and metal uptake by Cd-hyperaccumulators-Amaranthus hypochondriacus and Amaranthus mangostanus. An endophytic bacterial strain JN27 isolated from roots of Zea mays displayed high tolerance and mobilization to Cd, and was identified as Rahnella sp. based on 16S rDNA sequencing. The strain also exhibited multiple plant growth beneficial features including the production of indole-3-acetic acid, siderophore, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid deaminase and solubilization of insoluble phosphate. Subsequently, a pot trial was performed to elucidate the effects of inoculation with JN27 on plant growth and Cd uptake by A. hypochondriacus, A. mangostanus, Solanum nigrum and Z. mays grown in soils with different levels of Cd (25, 50, 100 mg Cd kg(-1)). The results revealed that inoculation with JN27 significantly increased the biomasses of all the tested plants and the Cd concentrations of all the tested plants except Z. mays in both above-ground and root tissues. Moreover, strain JN27 could successfully re-colonized in rhizosphere soils of all the tested plants and root interior of A. hypochondriacus and Z. mays. The present results indicated that the symbiont of A. hypochondriacus (or A. mangostanus) and strain JN27 can effectively improve the Cd uptake by plants and would be a new strategy in microbe-assisted phytoextraction for metal-contaminated soils.

Correlation models between environmental factors and bacterial resistance to antimony and copper

Antimony (Sb) and copper (Cu) are toxic heavy metals that are associated with a wide variety of minerals. Sb(III)-oxidizing bacteria that convert the toxic Sb(III) to the less toxic Sb(V) are potentially useful for environmental Sb bioremediation. A total of 125 culturable Sb(III)/Cu(II)-resistant bacteria from 11 different types of mining soils were isolated. Four strains identified as Arthrobacter, Acinetobacter and Janibacter exhibited notably high minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for Sb(III) (>10 mM),making them the most highly Sb(III)-resistant bacteria to date. Thirty-six strains were able to oxidize Sb(III), including Pseudomonas-, Comamonas-, Acinetobacter-, Sphingopyxis-, Paracoccus- Aminobacter-, Arthrobacter-, Bacillus-, Janibacter- and Variovorax-like isolates. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that the soil concentrations of Sb and Cu were the most obvious environmental factors affecting the culturable bacterial population structures. Stepwise linear regression was used to create two predictive models for the correlation between soil characteristics and the bacterial Sb(III) or Cu(II) resistance. The concentrations of Sb and Cu in the soil was the significant factors affecting the bacterial Sb(III) resistance, whereas the concentrations of S and P in the soil greatly affected the bacterial Cu(II) resistance. The two stepwise linear regression models that we derived are as follows: and [where the MIC_Sb(III) and MIC_Cu(II) represent the average bacterial MIC for the metal of each soil (µM), and the C_Sb, C_Cu, C_S and C_P represent concentrations for Sb, Cu, S and P (mg/kg) in soil, respectively, p<0.01]. The stepwise linear regression models we developed suggest that metals as well as other soil physicochemical parameters can contribute to bacterial resistance to metals.

Characterization of endophytic Rahnella sp. JN6 from Polygonum pubescens and its potential in promoting growth and Cd, Pb, Zn uptake by Brassica napus

Microbe-assisted phytoremediation has been considered as a promising measure for the remediation of heavy metal-polluted soils. In this study, a metal-tolerance and plant growth-promoting endophytic bacterium JN6 was firstly isolated from roots of Mn-hyperaccumulator Polygonum pubescens grown in metal-contaminated soil and identified as Rahnella sp. based on 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. Strain JN6 showed very high Cd, Pb and Zn tolerance and effectively solubilized CdCO(3), PbCO(3) and Zn(3)(PO(4))(2) in culture solution. The isolate produced plant growth-promoting substances such as indole-3-acetic acid, siderophore, 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic deaminase, and also solubilized inorganic phosphate. Based upon its ability in metal tolerance and solubilization, the isolate JN6 was further studied for its effects on the growth and accumulation of Cd, Pb and Zn in Brassica napus (rape) by pot experiments. Rape plants inoculated with the isolate JN6 had significantly higher dry weights, concentrations and uptake of Cd, Pb and Zn in both above-ground and root tissues than those without inoculation grown in soils amended with Cd (25 mg kg(-1)), Pb (200 mg kg(-1)) or Zn (200 mg kg(-1)). The isolate also showed a high level of colonization in tissue interior of rapes. The present results demonstrated that Rahnella sp. JN6 is a valuable microorganism, which can cost-effectively improve the efficiency of phytoremediation in soils contaminated by Cd, Pb and Zn.

Microbial community structure in the rhizosphere of Sophora viciifolia grown at a lead and zinc mine of northwest China

Understanding the effects of heavy metal contamination on microbial activity is important for developing strategies to reclaim sites disturbed by industrial activities. In this study, we investigated arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and bacteria associated with Sophora viciifolia growing at a lead and zinc mine in Qinling Mountain, China. Specifically, we measured the extent of AM fungal root colonization, examined microbial community structure by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), and identified the dominant microorganisms. We also measured the amount of glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP) and the association of GRSP with heavy metal ions. We found that AM root colonization decreased, but total GRSP increased with the increase of the lead concentration in soil. The Shannon-Wiener Index (H') of the AM fungal community showed a significant negative correlation with the available lead concentration (r=0.92, P=0.009). Bacterial community H' was also negatively correlated with the total and available lead concentrations in the soil (r=0.97, P=0.007 and r=0.92, P=0.025 for total and available lead, respectively). Both, AM fungal and bacterial community structures differed significantly between sites along the pollution gradient. The specific distributions of the two kinds of organisms indicated their differing tolerances to heavy metal. The dominant AM fungi were identified as Glomeraceae, whereas the dominant bacteria belonged to Proteobacteria. The amount of lead bound to GRSP varied from 3.3 to 172.5 mg kg(-1), which positively correlated with total and available soil lead concentration (r=0.99, P<0.000 and r=0.93, P=0.020 for total soil lead and available soil lead concentration, respectively), thus reducing the bioavailability of heavy metal ions.

Complete genome sequence of Rahnella aquatilis CIP 78.65

Rahnella aquatilis CIP 78.65 is a gammaproteobacterium isolated from a drinking water source in Lille, France. Here we report the complete genome sequence of Rahnella aquatilis CIP 78.65, the type strain of R. aquatilis.

Complete genome sequence of Rahnella sp. strain Y9602, a gammaproteobacterium isolate from metal- and radionuclide-contaminated soil

Rahnella sp. strain Y9602 is a gammaproteobacterium isolated from contaminated subsurface soils that is capable of promoting uranium phosphate mineralization as a result of constitutive phosphatase activity. Here we report the first complete genome sequence of an isolate belonging to the genus Rahnella.