Screening and Evaluation of Biodegradation Potential of Bacterial Isolates Against Ethidium Bromide

Abstract

Ethidium bromide (EtBr), an intercalating agent that is often employed in molecular biology procedures can bind to the DNA's minor groove, which can result in a variety of undesirable repercussions. EtBr is classified as one of the most lethal carcinogens, which makes its disposal extremely challenging and expensive. Reckless and irresponsible disposal of hazardous items can have severe impacts on the ecosystem and cause the environment's natural resources to wither away. Therefore, our study focuses on the isolation of bacterial isolates from different sources that have biodegradation potential against EtBr. Different bacterial isolates obtained from sewage water, tap water, and soil were grown in Luria Bertani (LB) broth and Nutrient agar (NA), followed by their screening and identification by performing various biochemical tests. All the isolates were grown in two different concentrations of EtBr (i.e., 30 g/ml and 60 g/ml) to determine their ability to degrade EtBr. For the current investigation, bacterial isolates obtained from the tap water (IS1, IS2, IS3, IS4, IS5, IS6) and sewage water (IS7, IS8, IS9, IS10, IS11, IS12, IS13) have shown degrading potential against EtBr at the concentration of 30µg/ml after 2 and 5 days, respectively, whereas, the bacterial isolates obtained from tap water (IS1, IS2, IS3, IS4, IS5, IS6) and sewage water (IS7, IS8, IS9, IS10, IS11, IS12, IS13) have shown degradation potential against EtBr at the concentration of 60µg/ml after 5 days and 8 days, respectively. All the isolates demonstrated EtBr bioaccumulation and were visible as vivid orange colonies under a UV transilluminator. None of the isolates obtained from the soil sample were able to degrade EtBr. The outcomes of the current investigation suggest that several bacterial isolates which were isolated from tap water and sewage water had remarkable biodegradation capacity against EtBr. The unique ability of bacterial isolates to biodegrade and accumulate EtBr can contribute to the improvement of the quality and safety of our environment. Further research into these isolates' potential for biodegrading various xenobiotics and dangerous substances could be very helpful in reducing the environment's rising toxicant concentrations.