Acid mine drainage (AMD) has been a serious environmental issue that threatens soil and aquatic ecosystems. In this study, an acid-tolerant sulfate-reducing bacterium, strain S4, was isolated from the mud of an AMD storage pond in Vietnam via enrichment in anoxic mineral medium at pH 5. Comparative analyses of sequences of the 16S rRNA gene and dsrB gene involved in sulfate reduction revealed that the isolate belonged to the genus Desulfovibrio, and is most closely related to Desulfovibrio oxamicus (with 99% homology in 16S rDNA sequence and 98% homology in dsrB gene sequence). Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analyses of dsrB gene showed that strain S4 represented one of the two most abundant groups developed in the enrichment culture. Notably, strain S4 was capable of reducing sulfate in low pH environments (from 2 and above), and resistance to extremely high concentration of heavy metals (Fe 3,000 mg/l, Zn 100 mg/l, Cu 100 mg/ l). In a batch incubation experiment in synthetic AMD with pH 3.5, strain S4 showed strong effects in facilitating growth of a neutrophilic, metal sensitive Desulfovibrio sp. strain SR4H, which was not capable of growing alone in such an environment. Thus, it is postulated that under extreme conditions such as an AMD environment, acid- and metal-tolerant sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB)- like strain S4 would facilitate the growth of other widely distributed SRB by starting to reduce sulfate at low pH, thus increasing pH and lowering the metal concentration in the environment. Owing to such unique physiological characteristics, strain S4 shows great potential for application in sustainable remediation of AMD.
Keywords: Acid mine drainage (AMD); Delta-proteobacteria; Desulfovibrio sp.; acid-tolerant sulfate-reducing bacteria; heavy metal removal.