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Identification and characterization of a pigment-producing denitrifying bacterium

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Abstract

Herein, a denitrifying bacterium that produced greenish fluorescent pigment under aerobic conditions was accidentally isolated from municipal sewage sludge. Using 16S-rDNA sequence analysis, we identified the isolate as Pseudomonas aeruginosa R12, with 100% similarity. We achieved the highest pigment production rate (1.36 mg/L/h) in a 1-L bioreactor under aerobic conditions, using the optimal culture parameters determined in this study: 37°C, pH 8.0, 200 rpm, 5 wm aeration, and medium containing succinate and (NH4)2SO4. The pigment was not a secondary metabolite and had no antibacterial activity on its co-isolates. Under anaerobic conditions, the isolate produced mainly N2 and behaved as a strong denitrifier, displaying synergistic denitrification with co-isolated denitrifiers. To our knowledge, herein we have described the first instance in which P. aeruginosa R12 produces a fluorescent pigment under aerobic conditions. This newly-isolated strain therefore shows potential as a commercial resource for natural pigment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Pukyong National University, Busan, 608-737, Korea

    Jeong-Bo Kim, Kyoung-Sook Cho, Soo-Kyoung Jeong & Joong Kyun Kim

  2. Department of Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Dong-Eui University, Busan, 614-714, Korea

    Soo-Wan Nam

  3. Department of Aquatic Life Medicine, Pukyong National University, Busan, 608-737, Korea

    Hyun Do Jeong

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  1. Jeong-Bo Kim
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  2. Kyoung-Sook Cho
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  5. Hyun Do Jeong
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Correspondence to Joong Kyun Kim.

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Kim, JB., Cho, KS., Jeong, SK. et al. Identification and characterization of a pigment-producing denitrifying bacterium. Biotechnol Bioproc E 13, 217–223 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12257-007-0201-y

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