Novel arsenic hyper-resistant bacteria from an extreme environment, Crven Dol mine, Allchar, North Macedonia

Novel hyper-resistant bacteria were isolated from the Crven Dol mine (Allchar, North Macedonia), arsenic-rich extreme environment. Bacteria were recovered from a secondary mineral mixture, an alteration of hydrothermal realgar rich in arsenates (pharmacolite, hornesite, and talmessite). The sample was recovered from the dark part of the mine at 28 m depth. Three bacterial strains and a bacterial consortium were isolated for their capacity to survive exposure to 32 g/L (209 mM) of arsenite, and 176 g/L (564 mM) of arsenate. The 16S rRNA gene analysis identified bacterial isolates as Stenotrophomonas sp. and two Microbacterium spp. This analysis also revealed that bacterial consortium comprise two Bacteriodetes exhibiting similarity to Olivibacter ginsengisoli and to uncultured bacterium, and one gamma-proteobacteria with similarity to Luteimonas sp. Among all isolates Stenotrophomonas sp. exhibited the highest tolerance to As compound as well as the capacity to accumulate As inside the cells. Analysis of genes involved in As-resistance showed that recovered isolates possess the genes encoding the ArsB, Acr3(1) and Acr3(2) proteins, indicating that at least a part of their resistance could be ascribed to As-efflux systems described in isolates obtained from human-polluted environments.

Automated summary

Novel hyper-resistant bacteria were isolated from the Crven Dol mine in North Macedonia, showing the ability to survive exposure to high concentrations of arsenite and arsenate. The bacterial isolates were mainly identified as Stenotrophomonas sp. and two Microbacterium spp. Some of the bacteria exhibited increased tolerance to arsenic compounds through As-efflux systems.