Bulti Nayak1, Satarupa Roy1, Abhijit Mitra2, Madhumita Roy1*

1Department of Biotechnology; Techno India University; Sector V; Salt Lake; Kolkata-91, India. 2Department of Marine Science. University of Calcutta, 35, B.C road; Kolkata-19, India.

Received on 18 July 2016 and accepted on 09 September 2016

 

ABSTRACT

During the screening of heavy metal resistant plant growth promoting rhizobacteria of the mangrove associate species Ipomoea pes-caprae of Indian Sundarbans, one multiple heavy metal resistant bacterium was isolated. The strain was identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophila strain BN1at 16S rDNA level. The strain was found to be resistant to 11 different antibiotics including ampicillin, streptomycin, cefuroxime, netillin, penicillin, gentamycin, nitrofurantoin, chloramphenicol, amikacin, amoxyclav, imipenem and could tolerate multiple heavy metals. The scanning electron micrography revealed small rod shaped bacteria and the cell surface forms microspheres. This bacterium was not only positive for various plant growth promoting features like IAA, siderophore and ammonia production but also showed phosphate solubilization and protease production ability. Therefore, dual expressions of antibiotics and heavy-metal resistance along with the plant growth promoting properties would make the isolate Stenotrophomonas maltophila strain BN1 ideal candidate strain for bioremediation of heavy metal contaminated sites effected with salinity.

Keywords

Ipomoea pes-caprae; Stenotrophomonas maltophila; heavy metal resistant, multiple drug resistant, protease, plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR).