• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.38 no.1
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• pp.36-39
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• 2000

Toxic hexavalent chromium, Cr(VI), was reduced to a less toxic trivalent chromium form by E. coli ATCC 33456. The suitable electron donor for Cr(VI) reduction was glucose. E. coli ATCC 33456 was more resistant to metal cations than other reported Cr(VI) reducing microorganisms. Cell growth was inhibited by the presence of Cr(VI) in a liquid medium and Cr(VI) reduction accompanied cell growth. With a hydraulic retention time of 20 h, Cr(VI) reducing efficiency was 100% to 84% when Cr(VI) concentration in the influent was in the range of 10 to 40 mg L$\^$-1/. Specific rate of Cr(VI) reduction was 2.41 mg Cr(VI) g DCW$\^$-1/ h$\^$-1/ when 40 mg L$\^$-1/ of Cr(VI) influent was used. This result suggested the potential application of E. coli ATCC 33456 for the detoxification of Cr(VI) in Cr(VI) contaminated wastewater.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.21-27
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• 2005

A soluble Cr(VI) reductase was purified from the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli ATCC 33456. The molecular mass was estimated to be 84 and 42 kDa by gel filtration and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, respectively, indicating a dimeric structure. The pI was 4.66, and optimal enzyme activity was obtained at pH 6.5 and $37^{\circ}C$. The most stable condition existed at pH 7.0. The purified enzyme used both NADPH and NADH as electron donors for Cr(VI) reduction, while NADPH was the better, conferring 61% higher activity than NADH. The $K_m$ values for NADPH and NADH were determined to be 47.5 and 17.2 umol, and the $V_max$ values 322.2 and 130.7 umol Cr(VI) $min^{-1}mg^{-1}$ protein, respectively. The activity was strongly inhibited by N-ethylmalemide, $Ag^{2+},\;Cd^{2+},\;Hg^{2+}$, and $Zn^{2+}$. The antibody against the enzyme showed no immunological cross reaction with those of other Cr(VI) reducing strains.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.580-586
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• 2000

A soluble Cr(VI) reductase was purified from the Cr(VI) reducing strain Escherichia coli ATCC33456 by ammonium sulfate fractionation, and chromatographies on Q-Sepharose FF, Cibacron blue 3GA dye affinity, Mono-Q 5/5, and Superdex 200 HR 10/30 columns. The estimated molecular mass of the purified enzyme was 27 kDa on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and 54 kDa on gel filtration, thus indicating a dimeric structure. The isoelectric point of the enzyme was pH 4.85. The optimum reaction pH and storage pH were both 7.0, the optimum reaction temperature was $37^{\circ}C$, and the storage temperature was $4^{\circ}C$. NADH and NADPH both served as electron donors for the reductase, with $V_{max}$ of 68.3 ${\mu}M$ Cr(VI)/min/mg protein and Km of 7.6 $\mu$M using HADH, and Vmax of 42.3 ${\mu}M$ Cr(VI)/min/mg protein and Km of 14.6 $\muM$ using NADPH. When 1 mM EDTA was added, the Cr(VI) reducing activity increased 4-fold.