Archives of Microbiology · 2 authors, 1 centre
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Researchers screened bacteria from polluted and extreme environments for the ability to use the toxin microcystin-LR (MC-LR) as a growth substrate, finding that several strains, including some novel degraders, could metabolize it, primarily at an optimal concentration of 10 µg/L and under alkaline conditions.
The isolates were screened using a colorimetric Biolog MT2 assay to determine their ability to grow using microcystin-LR (MC-LR) as the sole carbon and nitrogen source. Of the isolates, ten strains, including Arthrobacter, Acinetobacter, Bacillus, and others, demonstrated growth in the presence of MC-LR at concentrations of 1, 10, and 100 µg/L. Most bacteria exhibited optimal growth at 10 µg/L MC-LR and in alkaline pH (8 and 9). PCR screening revealed the isolates lacked the known mlr gene cluster, suggesting they may use a novel degradation pathway. The study identifies potential MC-LR degraders from under-explored environments and notes that some, like Bacillus thuringiensis and Pseudomonas protegens, are reported as tentative degraders for the first time. Limitations include the lack of characterization of the degradation products and molecular pathways.
