PNNL

Abstract

Microorganisms can reduce toxic chromate to less toxic trivalent chromium [Cr(III)]. Besides Cr(OH)3 precipitates, some soluble organo-Cr(III) complexes are readily formed upon microbial, enzymatic, and chemical reduction of chromate. However, the biotransformation of the organo-Cr(III) complexes has not been characterized. We have previously reported the formation of a nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-Cr(III) complex after enzymatic reduction of chromate. Although the NAD+-Cr(III) complex was stable under sterile conditions, microbial cells were identified as precipitates in a non-sterile NAD+-Cr(III) solution after extended incubation. The most dominant bacterium PTX1 was isolated and assigned to Leifsonia genus by phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene sequence. PTX1 grew slowly on NAD+ with a doubling time of 17 h, and even more slowly on the NAD+-Cr(III) complex with an estimated doubling time of 35 days. The slow growth suggests that PTX1 passively grew on trace NAD+ dissociated from the NAD+-Cr(III) complex, facilitating further dissociation of the complex and formation of Cr(III) precipitates. Thus, organo-Cr(III) complexes might be an intrinsic link of the chromium biogeochemical cycle; they can be produced during chromate reduction and then further mineralized by microorganisms.