Genetic diversity of Acinetobacter spp. adapted to heavy metal polluted environments

Abstract

Multiple metallotolerant bacterial strains were isolated from soil and drainage water samples collected from three industrially heavy metals polluted areas in Slovakia. Obtained bacterial isolates were identified using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry and bacterial isolates that belonged to the Acinetobacter genus were subjected for the further study. A. calcoaceticus was found to be prevalent species among analyzed Acinetobacter spp. strains, followed by A. lwoffii and A. johnsonii. A. calcoaceticus strains exhibited higher minimum inhibitory concentration to Mn, Zn, and Cu cations compared to A. lwoffii and A. johnsonii. On the other hand minimum inhibitory concentration to Co and Ni were identical in all Acinetobacter spp. isolates. Genetic analyses demonstrated multiple plasmids presence in A. lwoffii and A. johnsonii but not in A. calcoaceticus. Using ERIC-PCR the presence of two different genotypes of A. calcoaceticus was detected in heavy metal polluted environments in Slovakia.

Keywords

• Acinetobacter Heavy metals Resistance Bioremediation Plasmids