A Preliminary Investigation into Heavy Metal Tolerance in <i>Pseudomonas</i> Isolates: Does the Isolation Site Have an Effect?

One hundred presumptive <i>Pseudomonas</i> isolates, recovered from 15 sites impacted by anthropogenic activity in the Foggia district (Italy), were screened for key adaptive and functional traits important for environmental applications. The isolates were phenotypically characterized fo...

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Main Authors: Alessandro De Santis, Antonio Bevilacqua, Angela Racioppo, Barbara Speranza, Maria Rosaria Corbo, Clelia Altieri, Milena Sinigaglia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-08-01
Series:Agriculture
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/15/1692
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Summary:One hundred presumptive <i>Pseudomonas</i> isolates, recovered from 15 sites impacted by anthropogenic activity in the Foggia district (Italy), were screened for key adaptive and functional traits important for environmental applications. The isolates were phenotypically characterized for their ability to grow under combined pH (5.0–8.0) and temperature (15–37 °C) conditions, to produce proteolytic enzymes, pigments, and exopolysaccharides, and to tolerate SDS. Moreover, the resistance to six environmentally relevant heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Zn, As) was qualitatively assessed. The results highlighted wide inter-strain variability, with distinct clusters of isolates showing unique combinations of stress tolerance, enzymatic potential, and resistance profile. PERMANOVA analysis revealed significant effects of both the isolation site and the metal type, as well as their interaction, on the observed resistance patterns. A subset of isolates showed co-tolerance to elevated temperatures and heavy metals. These findings offer an initial yet insightful overview of the adaptive diversity of soil-derived <i>Pseudomonas</i>, laying the groundwork for the rational selection of strains for bioaugmentation in contaminated soils.
ISSN:2077-0472