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Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1007/s00792-008-0147-9
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Title (Primary) Membrane fatty acids adaptive profile in the simultaneous presence of arsenic and toluene in Bacillus sp. ORAs2 and Pseudomonas sp. ORAs5 strains
Author Pepi, M.; Heipieper, H.J. ORCID logo ; Fischer, J.; Ruta, M.; Volterrani, M.; Focardi, S.E.
Source Titel Extremophiles
Year 2008
Department UBT
Volume 12
Issue 3
Page From 343
Page To 349
Language englisch
Keywords Bacillus; Pseudomonas; Fatty acids; Membrane fluidity; Homeoviscous adaptation; cis/trans isomerization; Orbetello Lagoon
Abstract Bacillus sp. ORAs2 and Pseudomonas sp. ORAs5, two arsenic-resistant bacterial strains previously isolated from sediments of the Orbetello Lagoon, Italy, were tested for their adaptation to mixed contaminants on the level of membrane fatty acid composition. The two bacterial strains were characterized by high levels of arsenic resistance, and Pseudomonas sp. ORAs5 was also shown to be solvent-tolerant. The bacterial strains were exposed to mixtures of two toxic compounds: arsenic at fixed concentrations and toluene in variable amounts or, alternatively, toluene at constant values along with arsenic added at variable concentrations. Both strains react to the contaminants by changing the composition of their membrane fatty acids. Bacillus sp. strain ORAs2 showed a correlation between growth rate decreases and fatty acids degree of saturation increases in both cases, although pointedly in the presence of 1, 2, and 3 mM of toluene and different additions of arsenic, counteracting membranes fluidity induced by toxic compounds. In Pseudomonas sp. ORAs5, adaptive changes in membrane composition was observed both in terms of increases in the degree of saturation and in the trans/cis ratio of unsaturated fatty acids in the presence of varying toluene and constant arsenic concentrations, whereas only minor changes occurred with increasing arsenic and constant toluene concentrations. Thus, on the level of membrane composition, Bacillus sp. ORAs2 showed a higher potential for adaptation to the presence of mixed pollutants, suggesting its probable suitability for bioremediation purposes.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=1304
Pepi, M., Heipieper, H.J., Fischer, J., Ruta, M., Volterrani, M., Focardi, S.E. (2008):
Membrane fatty acids adaptive profile in the simultaneous presence of arsenic and toluene in Bacillus sp. ORAs2 and Pseudomonas sp. ORAs5 strains
Extremophiles 12 (3), 343 - 349 10.1007/s00792-008-0147-9