Drotaverine Hydrochloride Degradation Using Cyst-like Dormant Cells of Rhodococcus ruber

• Published in: Current microbiology 2015-03, Vol.70 (3), p.307-314
• Main Authors: Ivshina, Irena B., Mukhutdinova, Anna N., Tyumina, Helena A., Vikhareva, Helena V., Suzina, Nataliya E., El’-Registan, Galina I., Mulyukin, Andrey L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ambient temperature; Biodegradation; Biodegradation, Environmental; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Culture Media; Environmental Pollutants - metabolism; Life Sciences; Microbiology; Papaverine - analogs & derivatives; Papaverine - metabolism; Pharmaceutical industry wastes; Pharmaceuticals; Pollutants; Rhodococcus; Rhodococcus - metabolism; Rhodococcus - ultrastructure; Rhodococcus ruber; Survival; Temperature
• ISSN: 0343-8651; 1432-0991
• DOI: 10.1007/s00284-014-0718-1

This work has a focus on adaptive capabilities of the actinobacterium Rhodococcus ruber IEGM 326 to cope with drotaverine hydrochloride (DH), a known pharmaceutical pollutant. Cultivation of R. ruber in a nitrogen-limited medium with incubation at the ambient temperature resulted in the formation of cyst-like dormant cells (CLDCs). They maintained viability for 2–7 months, possessed the undetectable respiratory activity and elevated resistance to heating, and had a specific morphology. CLDCs are regarded to ensure long-term survival in various habitats and may be used as storage formulations. R. ruber IEGM 326 was tolerant to DH (MIC, 200 mg/l) and displayed different abilities to degrade this compound, depending on inoculum, temperature, and the presence of glucose as co-oxidized substrate. Thus, the loss of DH (20 mg/l) over 48 h at the optimal temperature (27 ± 2 °C) was 5–8 % in the absence of glucose after inoculating with vegetative cells. The addition of glucose (5 g/l) increased DH degradation up to 46 %. Noteworthy, CLDCs as inoculum were advantageous over vegetative cells to degrade DH at the non-optimal temperature (35 ± 2 °C) at reduced bulk respiratory activity. The obtained results are promising to improve the biodegrading capabilities of other Rhodococcus strains.