Characterization of arsenic-transforming bacteria from arsenic contaminated sites in Bulgaria

Abstract

The growth of the bacterial strains, previously isolated from arsenic contaminated sites in Bulgaria, was tested in the absence and the presence of different concentration of arsenite and arsenate. Two isolates, Pseudomonas putida K6 and Pseudomonas mendosina M3, were of particular interest because they appeared to gain metabolic energy during the arsenic transformation. After screening test for genes from aox and ars—operon, it was detected only the gene for arsH protein in strains as Ps. stutzeri and Ps. mendosina. © 2008 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.