[Ratio [13C]/[12C] as an index for express estimation of hydrocarbon-oxidizing potential of microbiota in soil polluted with crude oil].

The hydrocarbon-oxidizing potential of soil microbiota and hydrocarbon-oxidizing microorganisms introduced into soil was studied based on the quantitative and isotopic characteristics of carbon in products formed in microbial degradation of oil hydrocarbons. Comparison of CO2 production rates in native soil and that polluted with crude oil showed the intensity of microbial mineralization of soil organic matter (SOM) in the presence of oil hydrocarbons to be higher as compared with non-polluted soil, that is, revealed a priming effect ofoil. The amount of carbon of newly synthesized organic products (cell biomass and exometabolites) due to consumed petroleum was shown to significantly exceed that of SOM consumed for production of CO2. The result of microbial processes in oil-polluted soil was found to be a potent release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

[The cnr-like operon in strain Comamonas sp. encoding resistance to cobalt and nickel].

Plasmid pBS501 was detected in the strain Comamonas sp. BS501. This plasmid specifies high level of induced resistance (5 mM) to cobalt/nickel both in the host strain and in related strains C. testosteroni B-1241 and C. acidovorans B-1251. Hybridization analysis revealed a homology of pBS501 restriction fragments with the only well-characterized operon cnrXYHCBAT that resides in plasmid pMOL28 from Cupriavidus metallidurans CH34. Essential differences in the structural organization of the cobalt/nickel resistance determinant were found between plasmid pBS501 and the cnr-operon.

[Rhizosphere strain of Pseudomonas chlororaphis capable of degrading naphthalene in the presence of cobalt/nickel].

Combination of genetic systems of degradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons, resistance to heavy metals, and promotion of plant growth/protection is one of the approaches to the creation of polyfunctional strains for phytoremediation of soils after combined contamination with organic pollutants and heavy metals. A plant-growth-promoting rhizosphere strain Pseudomonas chlororaphis PCL1391 (pBS216*, pBS501) has been obtained, in which the nah operon of plasmid pBS216 provides naphthalene biodegradation and the cnr-like operon of plasmid pBS501 provides resistance to cobalt and nickel due to the withdrawal of heavy metal cations from the cells. In the presence of 100 microM of nickel, the viability, growth rate, and naphthalene biodegradation efficiency of the resistant strain PCL1391 (pBS216*, pBS501) were much higher as compared with the sensitive PCL1391 (pBS216). During the growth of the resistant strain, in contrast to the sensitive strain, nickel (100 microM) had no inhibiting effect on the activity of the key enzymes of naphthalene biodegradation.

[The production of phenazine antibiotics by the Pseudomonas aureofaciens strain with plasmid-controlled resistance to cobalt and nickel]. / Produktsiia fenazinovykh antibiotikov u shtamma Pseudomonas aureofaciens, soderzhashchego plazmidu rezistentnosti k kobal'tu i nikeliu.

Plasmid pBS501 responsible for the resistance of the wild-type Pseudomonas sp. BS501 (pBS501) to cobalt and nickel ions was conjugatively transferred to the rhizosphere Pseudomonas aureofaciens strain BS1393, which is able to synthesize phenazine antibiotics and to suppress a wide range of phytopathogenic microorganisms. The transconjugant P. aureofaciens BS1393 (pBS501) turned out to be resistant to cobalt and nickel with an MIC of 8 mM. When grown in a synthetic medium with 0.25 mM cobalt, the transconjugant accumulated 6 times more cobalt than the wild-type strain BS501 (pBS501) (1.2 and 0.2 microgram Co/mg protein). Electron microscopic studies showed that cobalt accumulates on the surface of transconjugant cells in the form of electron-opaque granules. In a culture medium with 2 mM cobalt or nickel, strain BS1393 produced phenazine-1-carboxylic acid in trace amounts. The transconjugant P. aureofaciens BS1393 (pBS501) produced this antibiotic in still smaller amounts. Unlike the parent strain BS1393, the transconjugant P. aureofaciens BS1393 (pBS501) was able to suppress in vitro the growth of the phytopathogenic fungus Gaeumannomyces graminis var. tritici 1818 in a medium containing 0.5 mM cobalt or nickel.

[Resistance of certain strains of Pseudomonas bacteria to toxic effect of heavy metal ions]. / Ustoichivost' nekotorykh shtammov bakterii roda Pseudomonas k povrezhdaiushchemu deistviiu ionov tiazhelykh metallov.

The effect of heavy metal cations (cobalt, nickel, and copper) and the anion detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) on the barrier properties of the plasma membrane (PM) of the Co-sensitive stain Pseudomonas putida BS394 and the Co-resistant strains Pseudomonas sp. BS501 (wild-type strain) and Pseudomonas putida BS394 (pBS501) (transformed strain) was studied by high-frequency electro-orientational spectroscopy. The cations were found to rank, in order of decreasing damage inflicted on the PM, as copper > cobalt > nickel. The strains studied were found to rank, in order of increasing resistance of the PM to damage inflicted by copper and cobalt cations, as P. putida BS394 < P. putida BS394 (pBS501) < Pseudomonas sp. BS501. In order of increasing resistance to SDS, the strains ranked inversely. The strains did not differ in sensitivity to nickel cations. Investigation of the surface of intact and trypsin-treated cells by microelectrophoresis showed that the surface layers of the cell wall of wild-type and transformed cells contained increased amounts of proteins. The surface proteins of Co-resistant cells had molecular masses of 49, 40, and 32 kDa. Exposure of Co-resistant cells to trypsin considerably reduced their resistance to cobalt cations. It is assumed that the resistance of the PM of the wild-type and transformed pseudomonads to heavy metal cations is determined by plasmid pBS501 and is related to the synthesis of protective surface proteins of the cell wall.

[Metal resistance of gram-negative bacteria isolated from soil and waste waters of industrial regions]. / Ustoichivost' k metallam gramotritsatel'nykh bakterii, izolirovannykh iz pochv i stochnykh vod promyshlennykh raionov.

Metals resistance of 112 strains of gram-negative bacteria isolated from soil and wastes around Nizniy Novgorod plants were investigated. MIC of metals varied in range between 1-10 mM Ni2+, Co2+, 1-6 mM Zn2+, 1-4 mM Cd2+, CrO4(2-), and 0.1-0.3 mM TeO3(2-). Bacteria with phenotypes NiCo and NiZnTe are revealed most frequent (25.6 and 6.4% accordingly). Plasmid DNAs with size between 2-70 kbp were found in 50% isolated strains. It was shown that resistance to cobalt of unidentified gram-negative bacterium is determined by plasmid genes. Recombinant plasmid contained fragment DNA controlling resistance to cadmium and zinc from Pseudomonas spp. strain was constructed by using helper plasmid pULB113.