Abstract:
Lead-resistant bacterial isolates Salmonella choleraesuis strain 4A, Proteus penneri strain GM10, Bacillus subtillis strain GM02, Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 4EA, Proteus penneri strain GM03 and Providentia rettgeri strain GM04 were isolated from soil contaminated with car battery waste from Goa, India. All the isolates except Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain 4EA showed presence of plasmids. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of 507 bp internal fragment of smtAB genes encoding bacterial metallothionein and intracellular bioaccumulation of 19 and 22 mg lead per gram dry weight in Salmonella choleraesuis strain 4A and Proteus penneri strain GM10 respectively revealed presence of metal-binding metallothionein (SmtA) being responsible for lead resistance encoded by genomic DNA. These lead-resistant and lead-bioaccumulating bacterial isolates can be employed for bioremediation of lead present in contaminated environmental sites.
