Intracellular chromium accumulation by Streptomyces sp. MC1

POLTI, MARTA ALEJANDRA; AMOROSO, MARÍA JULIA; ABATE; CARLOS MAURICIO

WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION

Springer Netherlands

Lugar: Dordrecht; Año: 2011 vol. 214 p. 49 - 57

0049-6979

Streptomyces sp. MC1, previously isolated from sugar cane, has shown ability to reduce Cr(VI) in liquid minimal medium and soil samples. The objective of this work was to demonstrate the intracellular chromium accumulation by Streptomyces sp. MC1 under different culture conditions. This strain was able to accumulate up to 3.54 mg of Cr(III) per gram of wet biomass, reducing the 98 % of Cr(VI) and removing 13.9 % of chromium from the culture medium supernatants. Streptomyces sp. MC1 chromium bioaccumulation ability was corroborated by using Timm’s reagent technique, a low cost method, which has been used by first time to detect chromium deposits in bacteria. The results of atomic absorption spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis suggest that the mechanism of Cr(VI) resistance observed in Streptomyces sp. MC1 includes adsorption coupled with reduction to Cr(III), and finally, Cr(III) bioaccumulation. This mechanism have special relevance to remediation of Cr(VI) contaminated environments by Streptomyces sp. MC1.