Characterization and quantification of the nickel resistant microbial community in activated sludge using 16S rDNA and nickel resistance genes

• Published in: Environmental technology Vol. 32; no. 5; pp. 533 - 542
• Main Authors: Li, Jia, Zhang, Tong, Wang, Ling, Liu, Yan, Dai, Ruihua, Liu, Xiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Abingdon TF 01.04.2011; Taylor & Francis Group; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: 16S rDNA gene; Activated sludge; Applied sciences; Bacteria; biodiversity; Biological and medical sciences; Biotechnology; Chemical engineering; Cluster Analysis; Communities; community structure; Cupriavidus metallidurans; Denaturing Gradient Gel Electrophoresis; DNA, Bacterial - chemistry; DNA, Bacterial - genetics; DNA, Ribosomal - chemistry; DNA, Ribosomal - genetics; Dosing; environmental technology; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General purification processes; Genes; genetic resistance; Genetics; metal tolerance; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; microbial communities; microbial community; Microbiology; Microorganisms; Nickel; Nickel - pharmacology; nickel resistance gene; Others; plasmids; Pollution; quantitative polymerase chain reaction; Ralstonia - drug effects; Ralstonia - genetics; Ralstonia - metabolism; Ralstonia metallidurans; Reactors; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; ribosomal DNA; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Sewage - microbiology; Sludge; Various methods and equipments; Wastewaters; Water Pollutants, Chemical - pharmacology; Water treatment and pollution; British Isles; Community structure; Activated sludge; nickel; Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis; Real time; nickel resistance gene; Real time system; Biological purification; Polymerase chain reaction; 16S rDNA gene; Bioreactor; Sequencing batch reactor; Waste water purification; Microbial community
• ISSN: 1479-487X; 0959-3330; 1479-487X
• DOI: 10.1080/09593330.2010.504749

The effect of nickel on the microbial community in the activated sludge of a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) reactor was investigated by continuously dosing nickel from 60 to 240 mg Ni(II) L⁻¹. The diversity of the microbial community was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of the variable V3 region of the bacterial 16S rDNA. The experimental results showed that the community structure changed significantly after dosing with nickel with a shift in dominant species, the disappearance of some original species and the emergence of some new species. The existence of a nickel resistant gene was also investigated using PCR. The obtained nickel resistance gene had a maximum homology with the plasmid pMOL30 of Ralstonia metallidurans CH34. The quantitative real‐time PCR results indicated that the quantity of the nickel resistance gene was related to the nickel concentration loaded to the reactor.