High potential application in bioremediation of selenate by Proteus hauseri strain QW4

• Main Authors: Mohaddeseh Khalilian, Mohammad Reza Zolfaghari, Mohammad Soleimani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Tehran University of Medical Sciences 2015-10-01
• Series: Iranian Journal of Microbiology
• Subjects: Bioremediation; MIC; Proteus hauseri; Sodium selenate
• Online Access: https://ijm.tums.ac.ir/index.php/ijm/article/view/149

Background and Objective: Selenium is essential for biological systems at low concentrations and toxic at higher levels. Heavy metals and metalloids such as selenium are major contaminants in 40% of hazardous waste sites. Thus, bioremediation has been considered as an effective means of cleaning up of selenium-contaminated sites. Materials and Methods: In this study, 30 strains were isolated from wastewater samples collected from seleniumcontaminated sites in Qom, Iran using the enrichment culture technique. One bacterial strain designated QW4, identified as Proteus hauseri by morphological, biochemical and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was studied for its ability to tolerate different concentrations of sodium selenate (100-800 mM). Also, the disk diffusion method was performed to determine resistance to some antibiotics. Results: Strain QW4 showed maximum minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to selenate (760 mM). The maximum selenate removal was exhibited at 35 ºC, while the removal activity reduced by 30.7% and 37% at 25 ºC and 40 ºC, respectively. The optimum pH and shaking incubator for removal activity was shown to be 7.0 and 150 rpm, with 60.2% and 60.3%, respectively. This bacterial strain was resistant to some antibiotics. Conclusion: The concentration of toxic sodium selenate (1000 μg/ml) in the supernatant of the bacterial culture medium decreased by 100% after 2 days and the color of the medium changed to red due to the formation of less toxic elemental selenium. Also, our results imply that heavy metal pollution may contribute to increased antibiotic resistance through indirect selection.