Numerical taxonomy of heavy metal tolerant bacteria isolated from the estuarine environment

Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1977 · Am. Society Microbiology: Abstr. Annual Meeting; (United States)

OSTI ID:5080409

Allen, D A; Austin, B; Mills, A L; Colwell, R R

Metal tolerant bacteria, totalling 301 strains, were isolated from water and sediment samples collected from Chesapeake Bay. Growth in the presence of 100 ppm cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead, mercury and molybdenum was tested. In addition, the strains were examined for 118 biochemical, cultural, morphological, nutritional and physiological, characters and the data were analyzed by computer, using the simple matching and Jaccard coefficients. From sorted similarity matrices, 293 strains, 97% of the total, were removed in 12 clusters defined at the 80 to 85% similarity level. The clusters included Bacillus and Pseudomonas spp. and genera and species of Enterobacteriaceae. Three clusters, containing gram negative rods, were not identified. Several of the clusters were composed of strains exhibiting tolerance to a wide range of heavy metals, whereas three of the clusters contained bacteria that were capable of growth in the presence of only a few of the metals examined in this study. Antibiotic resistance of the metal resistant strains has also been examined.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Maryland, College Park
• OSTI ID: 5080409
• Journal Information: Am. Society Microbiology: Abstr. Annual Meeting; (United States), Journal Name: Am. Society Microbiology: Abstr. Annual Meeting; (United States)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

520100* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560302 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Microorganisms-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BACILLUS
BACTERIA
BAYS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGY
CADMIUM
CHESAPEAKE BAY
CHROMIUM
COBALT
ELEMENTS
GROWTH
LEAD
MATHEMATICS
MERCURY
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
MOLYBDENUM
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
PSEUDOMONAS
SEAS
SEDIMENTS
SURFACE WATERS
TAXONOMY
TOLERANCE
TRANSITION ELEMENTS