Salt tolerance of nitrate reductase in Halomonas sp. B01

A systematic study on the lack of dissimilatory nitrate reductase (NAR) properties in Halomonas strains had been reported so far. The effects of different factors on Halomonas sp. B01 NAR activity were investigated. The salt tolerance of NAR was characterized. The denitrification process under high salt conditions was reported. Halomonas sp. B01 expressed membrane-bound NAR under induced culture by nitrate. The optimum pH of the enzyme reaction system was 8, and the optimum temperature was 30 °C. The mRNA expression abundance of narH in NAR encoding gene was highest in the 60 g/L NaCl inducing matrix. The NaCl concentration of optimum growth and induction of NAR were both 60 g/L. The ectoine added to the NAR vitro enzyme reaction system could maintain NAR activity under high NaCl concentration. In the range of 0-60 g/L NaCl, the NAR activity was stable at 17.7 (± 0.3) U/mg. The denitrification was performed by Halomonas sp. B01 at 60 g/L NaCl, and the denitrification rate reached 97.1% at 24 h. This study reveals for the first time the NAR properties of Halomonas strains, which provides a theoretical and technical basis for the nitrogen removal of high-salt nitrogenous wastewater using this strain.