Autoradiographic method to screen for soil microorganisms which accumulate zinc
An autoradiographic method was developed to screen for and isolate soil microorganisms which accumulate zinc (ZN). Diluted soil samples (pH 5.9) were plated on soil extract-glucose agar containing radioactive /sup 65/Zn. After 7 days of incubation, individual colonies which accumulated sufficient /sup 65/Zn could be detected by autoradiography. These colonies were isolated and confirmed as Zn accumulators in pure culture by using the autoradiographic plate technique. Most Zn accumulators were filamentous fungi, identified as Penicillium janthinellum, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Paecilomyces sp. Isolates of Penicillium janthinellum were the most common Zn accumulators. The most abundant Zn-accumulating bacteria were Bacillus spp. The validity of the autoradiographic plate technique to differentiate soil microbes which accumulate Zn was examined independently by energy dispersive X-ray analysis in a scanning electron microscope. This method confirmed that fungal isolates which gave positive autoradiographic responses in the plate assay bioaccumulated more Zn in their biomass than fungal isolates from the same soil sample which gave negative autoradiographic responses. Thus, this technique can be applied to specifically screen for and isolate microbes from the environment which bioaccumulate Zn.
- Research Organization:
- Michigan State Univ., East Lansing
- OSTI ID:
- 5662859
- Journal Information:
- Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 49:1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
BACTERIA
AUTORADIOGRAPHY
FUNGI
ZINC
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
ASPERGILLUS
BACILLUS
ELECTRON SCANNING
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
PENICILLIUM
PH VALUE
SCREENING
SOILS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
VALIDATION
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
ZINC 65
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELECTRON CAPTURE RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
METALS
MICROORGANISMS
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NUCLEI
PLANTS
RADIOISOTOPES
TESTING
ZINC ISOTOPES
560302* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Microorganisms- (-1987)
550501 - Metabolism- Tracer Techniques