Identification and Characterization of Arsenic Transforming Bacillus Species from Abandoned Mining Regions of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand

The arsenic (As) comprehensiveness in nature has aggravated the expansion of arsenic fortification and detoxification components in microorganisms. Many microorganisms discovered today with ability to oxidize arsenite (As3+) into arsenate (As5+) or reduce As5+ to As3+. In this study, two bacterial strains designated 3AB3 and 5AB2 was isolated from the soil samples collected from abandoned mining region of Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, India and arsenic concentration has been determined in both water and soil samples. Enrichment culturing method was employed for isolating bacteria and further they are screened for their redox ability. The isolated strains exhibited maximum growth at 30°C, at pH 7.0 in arsenic stressed Luria Bertani broth, checked through UV-Vis spectrophotometer at OD-620nm. Biochemical characterization of isolated strains was performed with various confirmation tests. Phylogenetic analysis of selected bacterial strains through MEGA-X confirmed their relationship to the genus Bacillus. Further, they are tested for transformation ability of arsenic (MSA method) and gene identification was done in selected isolated strains (PCR method). The result of this study shows that, even after abandoning the mining activities, concentration of arsenic increases in ground water by reducing ability of bacterial strains. PCR analysis depicted the presence of genes arsR, arsB and arsC in the strain 3AB3 and gene aoxB in 5AB2 respectively