title: Microbial Diversity of Chromium-Contaminated Soils and Characterization of Six Chromium-Removing Bacteria.
abstract: Three soil samples obtained from different sites adjacent to a chromium slag heap in a steel alloy factory were taken to examine the effect of chromium contamination on soil bacterial diversity as determined by construction of 16S rDNA clone libraries and sequencing of selected clones based on restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Results revealed that Betaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Alphaproteobacteria occurred in all three soil samples, although the three samples differed in their total diversity. Sample 1 had the highest microbial diversity covering 12 different classes, while Sample 3 had the lowest microbial diversity. Strains of six different species were successfully isolated, one of which was identified as Zobellella denitrificans. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a strain belonging to the genus Zobellella able to resist and reduce chromium. Among all isolates studied, Bacillus odysseyi YH2 exhibited the highest Cr(VI)-reducing capability, with a total removal of 23.5 % of an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 350 mg L(-1).
authors.affiliation: School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, People's Republic of China. zghecsu@163.com.|Key Laboratory of Biohydrometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, People's Republic of China. zghecsu@163.com.
authors.forename: Zhiguo
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Biohydrometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuting
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Biohydrometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: School of Minerals Processing and Bioengineering, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, People's Republic of China.|Key Laboratory of Biohydrometallurgy of Ministry of Education, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410083, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuehua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: School of Life Science, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, 410012, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhong
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D002681:China; D002857:Chromium / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D000068536:Bacillota / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010802:Phylogeny; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D020560:Proteobacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002857:Chromium
keywords: 16S rRNA gene; Bacterial diversity; Chromate reduction; Chromate-reducing bacteria