Characterization of tolerance to Arsenic of Exiguobacterium sp. isolated from high altitude Andean wetlands.

, OMAR ORDOÑEZ,; CAROLINA BELFIORE; DANIEL G. KURTH; NESTOR CORTEZ; FARIAS MARIA EUGENIA

Copenhagen

Congreso; 14th International Symposium on Microbial Ecology; 2012

ISME

North West of Argentina is particularly rich in wetlands located in the Puna Andean region at altitudes in the range of 3,600 to 4,600 m above sea level. Most of thesewetlands are completely isolated and are submitted to extreme conditions such as high salinity, wide range of temperatures, high ultraviolet solar B radiation (UV-B), andhigh content of toxic elements particularly Arsenic. Two strains of Exiguobacterium sp. (named S17 and N30) isolated from Laguna Negra and Laguna Socompa showedresistance to high concentrations ofArsenic.The aim of this study was to elucidate the genetic mechanisms by which Exiguobacterium sp. S17 and N30 resist high arsenic concentrations. Moreover, the presence ofknown resistance genes such as ACR3 or arsB as possible resistance mechanisms was assessed by degenerate oligonucleotides. In addition a proteomic approach using twodimensionalpolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2D PAGE) was applied to investigate the resistance to Arsenic of Exiguobacteriumsp. S17.