Organic Acid Secretion and Phosphate Solubilizing Efficiency of Pseudomonas sp. PSB12: Effects of Phosphorus Forms and Carbon Sources

Secretion of organic acids is an important mechanism for phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) to dissolve insoluble phosphorus in soil. However, the composition of organic acids produced by PSB in the presence of different phosphorus compounds is poorly known, and little is known about the ability of PSB to degrade pollutants in sediment. In this study, we isolated a strain Pseudomonas sp. PSB12 from the sediment of the Qihe River. PSB12 had maximum phosphate solubilization index (SI) of 3.86 on Pikovskaya's agar medium. The phosphate solubilizing activity was associated with the release of organic acids produced from glucose, while the composition of organic acids produced by PSB12 was dependent on the phosphorus forms. When initial soluble phosphorus was insufficient (in MP1 and MP2 media), gluconic acid was the predominant organic acid. In contrast, formic acid, butyrate, and propanedioic acid were the main organic acids produced when only soluble phosphorus (MP3) was supplied. RT-PCR indicated that the expression of glucose dehydrogenase gene (gcd) of PSB12 was two- to four-fold higher in MP1 than in MP3. PSB12 also possessed the phenol hydroxylase gene (phe) suggesting that phenol could be used as the carbon source to dissolve insoluble phosphorus. PSB12 is a potential candidate for in situ bioremediation and for promoting plant growth in soil contaminated by phenol with low levels of soluble phosphorus.