An efficient cyanide-degrading Bacillus pumilus strain.
A Gram-positive, aerobic, endospore-forming bacterium was isolated by an enrichment technique for the ability to degrade cyanide and was identified as a Bacillus pumilus strain. The bacterium rapidly degraded 100 mg l-1 of free cyanide in the absence of added inorganic and organic substances. The ability to degrade cyanide was linked to the growth phase and was not exhibited before late exponential/early stationary phase. Cyanide-degrading activity could not be induced before this time by the addition of 20 mg cyanide l-1. Production of the cyanide-degrading activity required 0.01 mg Mn2+ l-1 and did not occur at Mn2+ concentrations below 0.002 mg l-1. Cyanide-degrading activity was intracellular and cell-free extracts rapidly degraded cyanide.
Department of Microbiology, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
P R
PR
Meyers
P
P
Gokool
D E
DE
Rawlings
D R
DR
Woods
D001407:Bacillus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D003470:Culture Media; D003486:Cyanides / Q000378:metabolism*
D003470:Culture Media; D003486:Cyanides