Physiological mechanisms regulating the conversion of selenite to elemental selenium by Bacillus subtilis

We have demonstrated that the common soil bacterium, Bacillus subtilis, reduces selenite to an insoluble and much less toxic product--the red form of elemental selenium. Reduction was effected by an inducible system that appears to deposit elemental selenium between the cell wall and the plasma membrane. Glucose and sucrose supported selenite reduction. Although malate and citrate supported growth, no significant reduction of selenite occurred, indicating the importance of the redox state of the culture substrate. Selenite reduction in the millimolar concentration range (i.e., cultures supplemented with 1 mM selenite) was not affected by a ten-fold excess of nitrate or sulfate--compounds that serve as alternate electron acceptors and antagonize selenite reduction by anaerobic bacteria. Similarly, nitrite and sulfite did not significantly affect the rate or extent of selenite reduction. B.subtilis was able to grow and produce selenium (Se degree) at selenite concentrations ranging from 0.6 microM to 5 mM (50 ppb to 395 ppm selenium). At the lowest selenite concentration tested, 50 ppb selenium, B.subtilis removed 95% of the selenite from the liquid phase. The results suggest that selenite is reduced via an inducible detoxification system rather than dissimilatory electron transport. The findings establish the potential utility of B.subtilis for the bioremediation of selenite-polluted sites.