Bacillus arsenicus sp. nov., an arsenic-resistant bacterium isolated from a siderite concretion in West Bengal, India

Abstract

Strain Con a/3T is a Gram-positive, motile, endospore-forming, rod-shaped and arsenic-resistant bacterium, which was isolated from a concretion of arsenic ore obtained from a bore-hole. The bacterium grew in the presence of 20 mM arsenate and 0·5 mM arsenite. Diaminopimelic acid was present in the cell wall peptidoglycan, MK-7 was the major menaquinone, and iso-C15 : 0, anteiso-C15 : 0, iso-C16 : 0 and C16 : 1(δ7cis) were the major fatty acids. Based on its phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic characteristics, strain Con a/3T was identified as a member of the genus Bacillus. It exhibited maximum similarity (97 %) at the 16S rRNA gene level with Bacillus barbaricus (DSM 14730T); however, the DNA–DNA relatedness value with B. barbaricus was 60 %. Strain Con a/3T also exhibited a number of phenotypic differences from B. barbaricus (DSM 14730T). Strain Con a/3T was therefore identified as representing a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus arsenicus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Con a/3T (=MTCC 4380T=DSM 15822T=JCM 12167T).

Arsenite-oxidizing bacteria isolated from arsenic contaminated surface and ground water of Uttar Pradesh, India

“…Previously, arsenic resistant pseudomonales were isolated from (De Vincente, 1990). Bacillus arsenic resistant was also reported from West Bengal India from aquifers (Shivaji et al, 2005). Overall, the 16S rDNA sequence data we obtained in our study from ground and surface waters in the five districts of UP (Table 3) are in an agreement with the study conducted by us where we examined ground waters and detected As resistant Proteobacteria, especially from class γ Proteobacteria; while in the surface waters, As resistant bacteria dominated in phylum Firmicutes.…”

“…AOB-GI-1 and Rummeliibacillus sp. AOBG-1 (Table 3) did not conform fully to the phenotypic features of Bacillus arsenicus (Shivaji et al, 2005). Microorganisms that have been isolated which have various resistance mechanisms that allow them to tolerate arsenic concentrations; some of them are associated with genetic determinants; they provide the ability to perform transformations either through oxidation and/or reduction.…”

Bacillus Endospores Isolated from Granite: Close Molecular Relationships to Globally Distributed Bacillus spp. from Endolithic and Extreme Environments

“…For example, the granite isolates described here for every group except group XI were found to be closely related in 16S rRNA gene sequence to Bacillus sp. isolates from biodeteriorated murals, stone churches, tombs, and experimental wall paintings in Europe (17,50); an underground cavern in Arizona (L. Ikner et al, unpublished data); and concretions of siderite (i.e., the mineral iron carbonate) from India (48). Furthermore, granite isolates from all groups except groups IV and XI were also closely related in 16S rRNA gene sequence to Bacillus spp.…”

Isolation and characterisation of H2O2-decomposing bacteria from Antarctic seawater

“…The 16S rDNA sequence similarity between N2a and B. barbaricus DSM 14730 T is high, but it does not follow that the two strains belong to the same species because there are higher 16S rDNA similarities among several species of the genus Bacillus, for example 99.9% between B. pumilus and B. safensis (Satomi et al, 2006). B. barbaricus, B. arsenicus, B. macauensis and B. gelatini were isolated from an experimental wall painting, a siderite concretion, a drinking water supply and contaminated gelatin batches, respectively (Täubel et al, 2003;Shivaji et al, 2005;Zhang et al, 2006;De Clerck et al, 2004), which were distinct from the living environment of the Antarctic isolates. Unlike their phylogenetic relatives, the Antarctic isolates are psychrotolerant marine bacteria containing high percentage of unsaturated fatty acids.…”