Diverging Characteristics – Mercury Resistance and Antibiotic Susceptibility of Bacillus anthracis Isolated from Different Estuarine Environments

Abstract

The present study focused on the isolation and selection of identically similar bacteria from two different estuaries: polluted (KM186605) and marginally polluted (KM186603). The selected strains were tentatively identified as Bacillus anthracis using biochemical and molecular characteristics. The comparative assessments were performed based on their mercury and antibiotic resistance capabilities. The mercury removal percentages of KM186605 were 57.76, 40.88, 30.24 and 24.88%, while those of KM186603 were 45.92, 36.16, 28.15 and 21.69% respectively, at 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg−l concentrations of mercury. The antibiotic profile showed that KM186605 was susceptible to erythromycin, novobiocin, oxytetracycline, vancomycin, and amikacin. On the other hand, KM186603 was susceptible to oxytetracycline, erythromycin, novobiocin, and amikacin. The notable finding of the present investigation is that the strain screened from the polluted estuary (KM186605) showed higher mercury resistance but lower antibiotic resistance. The strain screened from a marginally polluted estuary (KM186603) exhibited lower mercury resistance and higher antibiotic resistance.