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The role of antioxidants enzymes of E. coli ASU3, a tolerant strain to heavy metals toxicity, in combating oxidative stress of copper

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Abstract

The current study describes the isolation and characterization of E. coli from wastewater that collected from El-Malah canal in Assiut, Egypt. Twelve isolates were investigated for heavy metal resistance by which one of them showed multiple metal resistances. Furthermore, the bacterium was identified as E. coli ASU3 according to biochemical tests and then, preserved at Assuit University Mycological Centre with accession number AUMC B83. It exhibited high minimal inhibitory concentrations for metals and antibiotic resistance. The order of metals toxicity to the bacterium was Cr6+ > Cu2+ > Co2+ > Pb2+ > Ni2+ > Cr3+ > Cd2+ > Zn2+. Total protein content of E. coli ASU3 decreased with the increase of copper concentration. Under exposure of different concentrations of copper, the induction of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, peroxidase and ascorbate peroxidase was increased and these antioxidant enzymes can contribute to combating oxidative stresses.

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Abbreviations

CAT:

Catalase

POX:

Peroxidase

APOX:

Ascorbate peroxidase

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

MIC:

Minimal inhibitory concentration

Cu:

Copper

EC:

Electrical conductivity

COD:

Chemical oxygen demand

BOD:

Biochemical oxygen demand

MPN:

Most probable number

EMB:

Eosin methylene blue

R:

Resistance

S:

Sensitive

MTC:

Maximum tolerance concentration

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Acknowledgments

We thanks Mr. Yasser M. Awad for his valuable help, critical reading of this manuscript and helpful discussions. The authors are grateful to the precious comments and careful correction made by anonymous reviewers for further improvements of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Asyut, 71516, Egypt

    Romany N. N. Abskharon, Sedky H. A. Hassan & Sanaa M. F. Gad El-Rab

  2. Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Kangwon-do, 200-701, South Korea

    Sedky H. A. Hassan

  3. School of Biotechnology, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Kangwon-do, 200-701, South Korea

    Mohammad Humayun Kabir, Syed Abdul Qadir & Myeong-Hyeon Wang

Authors
  1. Romany N. N. Abskharon
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  2. Sedky H. A. Hassan
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  3. Mohammad Humayun Kabir
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  4. Syed Abdul Qadir
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  5. Sanaa M. F. Gad El-Rab
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  6. Myeong-Hyeon Wang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Myeong-Hyeon Wang.

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Abskharon, R.N.N., Hassan, S.H.A., Kabir, M.H. et al. The role of antioxidants enzymes of E. coli ASU3, a tolerant strain to heavy metals toxicity, in combating oxidative stress of copper. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 26, 241–247 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-009-0166-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11274-009-0166-4

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