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Characterization and potential application in mercury bioremediation of highly mercury-resistant marine bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis PW-05

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Abstract

Bacillus thuringiensis PW-05 was isolated from the Odisha coast and was found to resist 50 ppm of Hg as HgCl2 as well as higher concentrations of CdCl2, ZnSO4, PbNO3 and Na2HAsO4. Resistance towards several antibiotics, viz amoxycillin, ampicillin, methicillin, azithromycin and cephradine (CV) was also observed. The mer operon possessed by most of the mercury-resistant bacteria was also found in this isolate. Atomic absorption spectroscopy revealed that the isolate can volatilize >90 % of inorganic mercury. It showed biofilm formation in the presence of 50 ppm HgCl2 and can produce exopolysaccharide under same conditions. The isolate was found to volatilize mercury efficiently under a wide range of environmental parameters, i.e. pH (7 to 8), temperature (25 °C to 40 °C) and salinity (5 to 25 ppt). merA gene expression has been confirmed by real-time reverse transcriptase PCR study. Fourier transform infrared study revealed that –SH and –COOH groups play a major role in the process of adaptation to Hg. Hence, this isolate B. thuringiensis PW-05 shows an interesting potential for bioremediation of mercury.

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Acknowledgements

Authors would like to acknowledge the authorities of NIT, Rourkela, for providing the facilities. H.R.D. and N.M. gratefully acknowledge the receipt of research fellowship from the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India. S.D. thanks the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, for the research grants on marine bacterial biofilm-based bioremediation of PAHs and heavy metals.

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  1. Laboratory of Environmental Microbiology and Ecology (LEnME), Department of Life Science, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, 769 008, Odisha, India

    Hirak R. Dash, Neelam Mangwani & Surajit Das

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  1. Hirak R. Dash
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  2. Neelam Mangwani
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Correspondence to Surajit Das.

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Dash, H.R., Mangwani, N. & Das, S. Characterization and potential application in mercury bioremediation of highly mercury-resistant marine bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis PW-05. Environ Sci Pollut Res 21, 2642–2653 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-2206-8

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