Characterization of a Corynebacterium Strain That Can Grow in Medium Containing up to 2 M Nitrate

Authors: Kutin, Richard; Jenkins, Daniel; Borthakur, Dulal

Source: Bioremediation Journal, Volume 12, Number 3, July 2008 , pp. 168-176(9)

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Abstract:

A gram-positive bacterium, identified as Corynebacterium K37, was isolated from the waste effluent of a dairy farm. The bacterium thrived and expressed nitrate-reducing activity at nitrate concentrations of up to 2 M, and reduced nitrate concentration from 0.4 M to 11.4 mM and also from 0.4 M to 23.4 mM in aerobic and anaerobic fed-batch cultures, respectively. Cells of K37 were able to utilize a variety of carbon sources for nitrate reduction with little or no accumulation of nitrite. In aerobic cultures, the residual nitrite was minimal and it was completely reduced after prolonged incubation. Growth on acetate or pyruvate in anaerobic cultures resulted in lower nitrite reductase activities and concomitant higher residual nitrite concentrations than did growth on ethanol or glucose, suggesting that diminished electron availability was a factor in the accumulation of residual nitrite. The bacterium also survived in 2 M concentrations of NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2. Corynebacterium sp. K37 may be useful in bioremediation of high nitrate pollution in contaminated soils and water.

Keywords: aerobic; anaerobic; fed-batch cultures; nitrite; reductase

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10889860802262172

Affiliations: 1: Department of Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Publication date: 2008-07-01