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Differential Multi-cellularity Is Required for the Adaptation for Bacillus licheniformis to Withstand Heavy Metals Toxicity

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Abstract

Bacillus licheniformis is a multi-metal tolerant bacteria, isolated from the paddy rhizospheric soil sample. Upon the multiple metal toxicity, B. licheniformis altered their phenotypic/morphogenesis. Here we examined the effects of cadmium (Cd2+), chromium (Cr2+), and mercury (Hg2+) on the morphogenesis of B. licheniformis in comparison to control. We found that the ability of bacteria to grow effectively in presence of cadmium and chromium comes at a cost of acquiring cell density-driven mobility and reformation of filamentous to donut shape respectively. In particular, when bacteria grown on mercury it showed the bacteriostatic strategy to resist mercury. Furthermore, the findings suggest a large variation in the production of exo-polysaccharides (EPS) and suggest the possible role of EPS in gaining resistance to cadmium and chromium. Together this study identifies previously unknown characteristics of B. licheniformis to participate in bioremediation and provides the first evidence on positive effects of bacterial morphogenesis and the involvement of EPS in bacteria to resisting metal toxicity.

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Acknowledgements

Authors acknowledges the support by the Department of Studies in Biotechnology, University of Mysore. The Treasurer, Global Association of Scientific Young Minds, Pradeep Kumar P. M. for his assistance in soil sample collection and for the financial support under GASYM research grant. SCR also acknowledges MMK and SDM, College for Women, Mysuru for the facilities.

Funding

This work is partially supported by University Grant Commission File No. F. 41–525/2012 (SR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Global Association of Scientific Young Minds (GASYM), Mysuru, India

    Channarayapatna-Ramesh Sunilkumar, Emmanuel Stephen-Victor, Kishore Babu Naripogu, Bettadapura Rameshgowda Nuthan, K. M. Marulasiddaswamy & Nagaraja Geetha

  2. Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Okayama University, Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama, 700-8530, Japan

    Channarayapatna-Ramesh Sunilkumar & Kishore Babu Naripogu

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA

    Emmanuel Stephen-Victor

  4. Department of Studies in Biotechnology, Manasagangotri, University of Mysore, Mysuru, India

    J. Samanth Kumar, K. M. Marulasiddaswamy, Kukkundoor Ramachandra Kini & Nagaraja Geetha

  5. Department of Studies in Microbiology, Manasagangotri, University of Mysore, Mysuru, India

    Bettadapura Rameshgowda Nuthan

  6. Laboratory of Microbial Metabolism and Stress Response, Department of Biotechnology, SDM and MMK College for Women, Mysuru, India

    Channarayapatna-Ramesh Sunilkumar

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  1. Channarayapatna-Ramesh Sunilkumar
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  2. Emmanuel Stephen-Victor
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  3. Kishore Babu Naripogu
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Correspondence to Channarayapatna-Ramesh Sunilkumar.

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The authors declare No Conflict of Interest with this present research report. (The formulation including bacteria and other component is filled for US patent, with SEED Health Pvt. Ltd. California, USA)

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Sunilkumar, CR., Stephen-Victor, E., Naripogu, K.B. et al. Differential Multi-cellularity Is Required for the Adaptation for Bacillus licheniformis to Withstand Heavy Metals Toxicity. Indian J Microbiol 61, 524–529 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-021-00958-y

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