ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Antioxidative Enzyme Responses to Antimony
Stress of Serratia marcescens – an Endophytic
Bacteria of Hedysarum pallidum Roots
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1
Biology and Environment Laboratory, Faculty of Nature and Life Sciences, Mentouri University Constantine 1,
Constantine, Algeria
2
Laboratory of Microbiology, Adaptation and Pathogeny, University Lyon 1, France
3
Biotechnology High National School Taoufik Khaznadar, Ali Mendjeli University City,
Constantine, Algeria
Submission date: 2018-10-01
Final revision date: 2018-11-28
Acceptance date: 2018-12-04
Online publication date: 2019-09-02
Publication date: 2019-10-23
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2020;29(1):141-152
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ABSTRACT
Studies on bacterial endophytes resistant to antimony (Sb), a pollutant deemed alarming, are virtually
non-existent. An endophytic bacterial strain showing resistance to high antimony concentrations was
isolated for the first time from the roots of Hedysarum pallidum Desf., a Sb accumulator Fabacea
growing on mining spoils. With the combined use of morphological, biochemical and molecular methods,
the isolated strain was identified as Serratia marcescens species. It showed a minimum inhibitory
concentration (MIC) to its growth at 450 mM of Sb. In the presence of excessive concentrations of
Sb, corresponding to 30 mM of Sb, i.e., 3652.8 mg/L of Sb, the strain maintained important growth
compared to the control. The Sb toxicity caused a significant increase (p<0.05) in the hydrogen peroxide
(H2O2) amount and malondialdehyde (MDA) content. The oxidative stress induced significant increases
(p<0.05) in the strain antioxidant biomarkers such as proline, catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase
(APX), peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Significant and positive correlations
(p<0.05) were found between oxidative and antioxidant biomarkers and between antioxidant biomarkers,
highlighting the interrelationships between them in oxidative stress fighting. Results show an important
adaptation of the strain to high Sb levels that can be used in the Sb-contaminated soils bioremediation.