title: Efficient binding of nickel ions to recombinant Bacillus subtilis spores.
abstract: We report the use of recombinant spores of Bacillus subtilis as a potential bioremediation tool for adsorption of nickel ions. The spore surface protein CotB, previously used for the display of heterologous antigens, was engineered to express eighteen histidine residues within the spore coat. Wild type and recombinant spores were then analyzed to assess their efficiency in adsorbing nickel ions, and the latter proved to be significantly more efficient than wild type spores in metal-binding. The quantities of spores used in the adsorption reaction significantly affected nickel binding, while other factors such as pH and temperature did not show relevant effects. In addition, simple washing procedures were used to partially release spore-bound nickel ions by wild type and recombinant spores. The efficiency of nickel binding, together with the simple purification procedure, the high robustness and safety of B. subtilis spores and the possibility of recovering bound nickel, makes the recombinant spore a new and potentially powerful tool for the treatment of contaminated ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Federico II University, via Cinthia 4, 80126 Naples, Italy. khinc@biotech.ug.gda.pl
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hinc
authors.forename: Soheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghandili
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Karbalaee
authors.forename: Abbas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shali
authors.forename: Kambiz Akbari
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Noghabi
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ricca
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ahmadian
mesh_terms: D001412:Bacillus subtilis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D009532:Nickel / Q000378:metabolism*; D011485:Protein Binding; D015202:Protein Engineering; D013171:Spores, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; C439051:CotB protein, Bacillus subtilis; D009532:Nickel