Use of ultraviolet-light mutagenesis to generate a mutant with elevated cadmium resistance, B. agri C15 CdR

Abstract

Cadmium (Cd) is toxic to living organisms; however, bacteria are adaptable to severe conditions, including Cd contamination. Bacteria can develop in the natural environment, as they generate resistant strains that can be used to remove Cd, but getting such adaptive strains usually takes a long time. In this study, ultraviolet (UV) light mutagenesis was used to accelerate the strain-resistant ability of Brevibacillus agri C15 to generate CdR mutant with high resistance to Cd. Its maximum tolerable concentration (MTC) to Cd was 15.00 mM. The UV light mutagenesis process resulted in the generation of the mutant B. agri C15 CdR (MTC: 20.00 mM Cd). Morphological and biochemical tests showed that there were no major differences between B. agri C15 CdR and B. agri C15. This study provides a basis for developing microbial Cd resistance and facilitating the application of Cd remediation.