Development of an acute and chronic ecotoxicity assay using lux-marked Rhizobium leguminosarum biovar trifolii
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G I Paton1, G Palmer, M Burton
1Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Aberdeen, UK. g.i.paton@aberdeen.ac.uk
Letters in Applied Microbiology
|April 1, 1997
Abstract:
A soil isolate of Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. trifolii was marked with a lux CDABE gene cassette to enable the expression of bioluminescence. The suitability of the bacterium as a soil pollution biosensor was assessed using acute and chronic assays. Bacterial bioluminescence responded sensitively to the metals studied. The order of sensitivity was found to be Cd > Ni = Zn > Cu for the acute test and Cd > Ni = Zn = Cu for the chronic test. The sensitive response of the biosensor highlighted its potential for use as an indicator of soil pollution.